Glycerine
by Strawberriesaresexy
Summary: Naruto finally makes it in the music industry, catching up to his ex-lover, Sasuke. The two are re-united, but something seems amiss with Sasuke. M for sex, strong language, and drug use. NaruSasu. ShikaIno. KakaIru.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Some of you may remember this fic. It was already up once. I took it down because of a ridiculous flame. So, if you don't like it don't read it. If it isn't a constructive comment, don't leave it. Haters gonna hate. I'm gonna write.

The air in the small bar was thick with the scent of sweat and marijuana. The screeching sound of guitars and a girl screaming lyrics played in the background. Naruto and his band were up next and while Shikamaru and Kiba attempted to figure out a set for the night Naruto could do nothing, but stare at the half naked body on the cover of the magazine before him.

"So I think we'll start out with that cover of-," Shikamaru began, only to be cut off by a rather peeved Naruto.

"I can't believe he'd go on the cover of 'Rolling Stone' like that!" Naruto growled.

"I know doesn't he look hot!" Sakura squealed.

"Sakura." Shikamaru scolded before turning to Naruto, "Naruto it's just a gimmick to sell magazines."

"Yeah it's not like he did a playgirl centerfold or something." Kiba added. "Although the handcuffs are a bit much."

"He might as well have. I can't believe he would sell out like this!" Naruto yelled throwing said magazine on the table and glaring at it.

"Naruto…" Shikamaru began only to once again be cut off, this time by the high-pitched shriek of his shrill friend.

"Oh my god, have you read this?" Sakura, who'd picked up Naruto's abandoned magazine, was now reading Sasuke's interview.

"Yeah." Naruto said flatly frowning.

"Why? What is it?" Kiba asked.

"Not only is Sasuke a sell out, he's dating that creepy ass pedophile Orochimaru!" Naruto started yelling again. "Couldn't he have done a better job picking out my replacement? How could he go from a stud like me to _that_?"

"He probably doesn't see many other people." Shikamaru said off-handedly, "He was never very social and now he's so busy writing and recording I doubt he has time to go out and date. It's probably just a relationship of convenience."

"That's stupid. Sasuke would never be with someone just for the sake of being with someone. At least he wouldn't when we dated."

"Maybe he's lonely." Sakura said

"Or horny." Kiba added.

"There's no way he's lonely or horny enough to settle for that!" Naruto yelled pointing to Orochimaru's picture. "He's like sixty!"

"Well it certainly can't hurt his career to be fucking the head of the record label." As soon as it left his mouth Shikamaru found himself on the receiving end of three disbelieving stares. "Never mind, forget I said anything. C'mon let's figure out this set."

"Fine, but I stand by that Sasuke has gone temporarily insane and that's the only reason he's dating that bastard."

* * *

><p>'Garlic' Sasuke thought. That's what Orochimaru smelled like old, festering garlic. The kind that has sat in the back of the fridge too long and is now beginning to sport curious growths, that's what Orochimaru was. Rotting Garlic.<p>

"Ugh," Orochimaru thrust once again, hard into Sasuke's body and Sasuke reminded himself to moan. It was always over quicker when he moaned.

It wasn't that Orochimaru was a terrible lover. Sasuke always got off when they had sex. And it wasn't that Sasuke particularly disliked the idea of having sex with him. A dick was a dick and sometimes Sasuke just needed a dick.

It was just that…Sasuke looked up at Orochimaru and imagined a broad, well-muscled chest wrapped in smooth bronzed skin. He moaned. Taking his fantasy a step further he imagined chapped lips kissing the spot on his neck that always made him weak and large calloused hands gripping the place on his thighs that Orochimaru was now touching.

"_God baby you're so tight," _The deep familiar voice resonated in Sasuke's mind, _"You feel so perfect around me."_

"Nnguh," Sasuke wrapped long slender legs around the older man's waist driving him in deeper. Still lost in his fantasy he grabbed Orochimaru by the back of the head and pulled him down for a deep kiss.

"Someone's passionate tonight." Orochimaru slithered shaking Sasuke temporarily from his fantasy.

Sasuke snaked an arm in between them and began to stroke himself to completion. Pretending it was a large tanned hand playing with his cock instead of his own.

"Son of a bitch!" Orochimaru screamed as he reached his climax, releasing into the little reservoir of the condom.

But all Sasuke heard was the deep voice in his head cry out_, "Sasuke!"_

"Ahh! Na—" Sasuke came hard on both of their stomachs, biting the heel of his hand to keep from saying the wrong name.

* * *

><p>"I can't fucking believe this!" Naruto threw the hated magazine down on the table before him. The band had another gig in the same dingy bar they'd played in last week and once again Naruto had brought a magazine for their discrimination. "Who the fuck wants to see that?" He said jabbing his finger at the picture of Sasuke and Orochimaru at the beach, "That guy's like 60!"<p>

"Why do you keep buying those?" Kiba quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

"It's the only way I can keep up with what he's doing anymore! He never comes home and he doesn't call like he used to." Naruto sulked looking longingly at the picture of Sasuke.

"How touching." A silver haired man smiled at the group his only visible eye an upside down U. "I'm sure he's just too busy."

"And just who are you?" Shikamaru asked.

"Oh, right." The man took out a card and handed it to the band. "I'm Hatake Kakashi. I work with Fire music productions. I want to sign you boys."

"No way!" Naruto's once gloomy face broke out into a grin. "That's awesome!" "You guys actually listened to our demo?" Sakura asked, her face contorting in confusion. "It's been like a year since Naruto mailed that to you. Some of Sasuke's vocals are still on that."

"We're a very busy company, but after Sasuke got signed we wondered if the rest of you had star potential. I came and listened to you last week. I talked to my boss already. She listened to your demo and even without Sasuke she loves you. So shall we make this happen?" The man extended a hand that Shikamaru looked questionably at before Kakashi held the hand out to Naruto who eagerly shook it. "Great."

"Hold on," Shikamaru began bringing Naruto's inner celebration to a screeching halt. "Isn't there something we should read before we agree to anything?"

"Well, we'll have to work the kinks out of your contract tomorrow at the office, but that's all I can think of."

"What time?" Shikamaru asked still looking a bit skeptical.

"How about one? Will I see you then?"

"Of course!" Naruto cheered. "I can't wait!"

"Alright, but I'm not signing anything until I read it." Shikamaru said.

"Dude you are a major buzz kill." Kiba rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p>"In music news," A perky blonde women with clearly fake lips and a prematurely botoxed forehead called out from the TV mounted on the wall of Naruto's studio apartment. "Rising star Sasuke Uchiha has not only ended his personal relationship with Orochimaru Sanin, head of Sound Records, but also his professional one.<p>

"Earlier this week the singer announced that he would be leaving Sound Records, but was not yet signed anywhere else. Several record labels, including Fire Music Productions and Akatsuki Records, have already made the singer lucrative offers.

"There is no word yet on whether Sasuke has accepted any of these, but sources close to the singer believe he is leaning toward Fire."

Naruto turned away from the TV to look at his manager in disbelief. "Sasuke's gonna sign with us?"

"Don't get your hopes up." Kakashi said. "We certainly hope he does, but it's not for sure. Actually I was thinking because you all go back with Sasuke, you should come to a party with me. He'll be there and I could use the help convincing him to choose us."

"A chance to see Sasuke? Hell yeah!" Naruto punched the air. "I'm so there!"

"Don't forget this is also a good time to socialize with other celebs. It's important to make connections."

"In other Sasuke news," Neither man knew when the screen had panned to a douchey looking man with a fake tan and inhumanly white teeth, but it was irrelevant in Naruto's eyes. All that mattered was the subject was Sasuke, "Both Uchiha and Sanin's camps have confirmed that rumors of infidelity are true, but not necessarily the cause of their split.

"According to Sanin's camp, Sasuke had 'developed an uncontrollable drinking habit' and 'had even been know to get violent during practice.'

"The singer's camp denies this saying 'these are only the words of a spiteful ex and are not to be taken seriously'. It's hard to say which story we should believe, but pictures of Sasuke with Mist guitarist and openly avid drug user Suigetsu have surfaced which leads our staff to believe there may be some truth to Sanin's words after all."

"Do you think Sasuke's really on drugs?" Sakura asked anxiously.

"There's no way in hell Sasuke's on drugs!" Naruto yelled. "That pervert is just pissed off that Sasuke dumped him! So what if he talks to that Suigetsu guy every once in a while. Shikamaru smokes pot and we don't!"

"I do," Kiba said.

"Well, except Kiba!" Naruto said.

"Well, now that that's over, let's start practicing. If Sasuke signs with us, he'll probably want to hear the songs he inspired." Kakashi said.

"Alright, let's practice." Naruto cheered.

Shikamaru groaned as he stood up. "It's so troublesome that Naruto is so easy to manipulate."

* * *

><p>Naruto grinned looking around the party. Everyone that was worthy enough to be on a cover of a gossip magazine was in the room, eating over priced fish eggs, smoking, or what have you. Naruto clenched his fist. By the time he left the whole room was going to know him, but first, "Hey, where's Sasuke?" He asked the silver fox next to him.<p>

The man shrugged. "We'll have to find him."

"Oh my God!" Sakura squealed. "There's Yamanaka Ino!"

The band looked over at thin blonde girl beside at large redheaded man, presumably her bodyguard, "Is black a primary color?" Ino asked the man as a waiter offered her a tray of caviar. "Oh wait! That doesn't matter the cracker's brown. Brown's not a primary colour…is it?"

Shikamaru face palmed and made his way to the girl. "Excuse me, did you fail elementary art?"

"You can fail art?" Ino's eyes widened in obvious disbelief, "Wow, good thing I was a mouseketeer I can't draw for shit."

"That explains so much." Shikamaru deadpanned.

"Oh my gosh. Hi, Ms. Yamanaka, I'm Haruno Sakura. It's so nice to meet you. Wow, you're even thinner in person." Sakura gushed.

"I'm on a new diet," Ino beamed, "I only eat primary colours. It really seems to be working."

"Wow, I'll have to try that." Sakura said.

"Yeah, the only problem is she has no idea what the primary colours are," Shikamaru said.

"That's not true. I know at least four of them," The pop princess protested.

Shikamaru face palmed again and he was sure that by the end of this conversation he'd have a red hand mark on his forehead. "There are only _three_ primary colours."

"Nuh-uh, blue, green, yellow and red. Four!" The girl held up four fingers smugly grinning at the brunet man.

"No, listen they're primary colours because all colours can be made from them. Blue and yellow makes green so it isn't a primary colour. Get it?" The bassist asked pushing her fingers out of his face.

"Wow, you are like really smart. I bet you went to college and everything." Ino said an awestruck look on her pretty face.

"Yeah, actually. I went to MIT, but I learned that in sixth grade art." He deadpanned.

"Shika!" Sakura scolded. "Don't make her feel stupid. Shika here is actually legally a genius and he watches the history channel for fun so he knows a lot of pointless stuff." Sakura said.

"Really! Great, maybe you can help fix—," It seemed as if the predictably easily distractible girl had seen something of more interest to her than Shikamaru's knowledge of the colour wheel. "Oh em gee! It's Sasuke Uchiha he is sooo hot!"

"Where?" Sakura and Naruto yelled in unison, but Kakashi had already approached the young singer.

"No way! He's really here!" Naruto yelled. He grinned and turned to Ino eager to brag. "We were Sasuke's old band. I actually dated him for four years. I haven't seen him for a year."

"Naruto, she doesn't care. She's a pop star." Sakura said.

"You fucked Sasuke! Oh my God is it true that he's a total freak! I mean whips, chains the whole shebang because I heard that once he left Orochimaru tied to the bed for a whole three hours and that's why they really broke-up."

"No way! I mean if it was our anniversary or something he would dress up in a sexy nurse or schoolgirl outfit, but he was never that into SMBD."

"Oh," The girl looked disappointed, but quickly perked up as the silver haired manager began leading Sasuke their way.

"Teme!" Naruto grinned hugging Sasuke. "I missed you! Why'd you stop calling?"

"Oi dobe," Sasuke half-heartedly shoved the larger man, "You're crushing my ribs."

"Sasuke! It's so great to see you again." Sakura smiled warmly.

"Yeah, maybe now Naruto will stop writing angsty songs about you." Shikamaru said earning a shove from Naruto.

"Hey, you're not really on drugs, right? Shisui and I'll bring your ass back to Konoha for rehab y'know!" Naruto yelled.

"Hey, I'm here too y'know." Suigetsu said.

"Don't try to avert their attention from Sasuke, it'll never work." Kakashi said.

"Shisui…I haven't talked to him in forever." Sasuke looked uncharacteristically dreamy. "Did Shika say you wrote songs about me?"

"Angsty ones," Kiba reiterated, "Of course if you'd bothered to step off your throne and call every once in a while—"

But Sasuke's attention was quickly diverted as a ninety pound pop diva threw herself at him knocking them both to the ground and causing a mass of muscular black clad men to barrel toward them.

"I am your biggest fan. Is it true you have a two-page rider? Do you really _only _bottom? Are you actually a work week cokehead?"

"He's not a cokehead and if he is I'll take his ass to rehab!" Naruto yelled. "Wait, you thought _he _could _top_?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"Naruto, I brought you here to convince him to sign with us not take him to rehab and insult him." Kakashi said. After giving Sasuke a once over he added, "He's right about that top comment though."

"Why is it so bright in here?" Sasuke received several bemused stares before his shaking legs, which he'd only just managed to pull back up under him, finally gave out and he hit the ground like an anorexic ton of bricks.

"Holy shit!" Naruto said picking Sasuke up bridal-style. "Kakashi, call an ambulance!" He yelled brushing Sasuke's hair out of his face to take his fever. "Shit, he's burning up." He began to shake the seemingly lifeless body. "Sasuke! Sasuke! You can't die when I finally get to see you again!"

* * *

><p>Suigetsu and Naruto (along with the rest of the band and Ino who had insisted on tagging along) sat in the waiting room of the ER, eagerly awaiting Sasuke's diagnosis.<p>

"Damn, I didn't know that coke was laced." Suigetsu said.

"How could you give him drugs? I'm gonna kick your ass!" Naruto screamed. "He is so going to rehab!"

"Excuse me," A pretty young woman in scrubs no one had seen enter spoke up, "Are you all with Mr. Uchiha?"

"Is he gonna be okay?" Naruto asked eagerly

"He's fine. A bit malnourished, but aren't they all?" The women rolled her eyes, "Anyway it's probably just exhaustion. We'll keep him here overnight, pump him full of fluid and probably see him in a week when he gets the cocaine blues and tries to off himself."

"Dude!" Kiba said looking at the woman as if she'd just summoned the devil, "Are you even allowed to say that?"

"Sorry," The nurse said with a shake of the head, "You have to understand we get these people all the time and it just— Anyway he's fine. He just woke up so you can go see him if you want. You probably shouldn't all go in at once. It might be a little overwhelming."

"I'll go first." Naruto said already making his way to Sasuke's room. "Sasu-chan…you won't do drugs anymore, right?"

"Anymore? You act like I've been snorting blow for decades."

"I was so worried. I thought I was gonna lose you after I finally got to see you again."

"Dobe," Sasuke rolled his eyes, "You can't believe everything you see on TV. Remember, we learned this the hard way when you found out South Park wasn't a real city. It's just stress and probably a lack of sleep."

"No! I'm not stupid Sasuke! That dick Mist guy even said he gave you drugs! You're gonna stop! You have to eat too! I don't care if I have to take you out every night, you're eating an entire meal!"

"Dobe are you asking me on a date?"

"Only if you quit doing drugs and stop hanging around that dick."

Sasuke scoffed, "Just what I fucking need one more person who knows what's good for me."

"I'm just worried about you Sasuke! We all are! I won't get involved with you if you're on drugs! I won't get any closer to you when you're just going to kill yourself with this shit!"

"I'm not on drugs!" The words came out a bit louder than Sasuke had intended, but he hoped Naruto would mistake his desperation with conviction and believe him. "Yeah, I did a little coke tonight, but what the fuck am I supposed to do? I've got label after label breathing down my neck and my manager telling me if I don't come out with another album in the next six months I'm as good as dead in the business 'because once you get out that's it no re-entry'.

"I work seven days a week, twelve or more hours a day and if I don't go to these God damn parties my publicist has a fit. So yeah, I blow a line every once in awhile because I'm fucking tired, but if I stop for a minute I've got ten different people up my ass about it."

"Sasuke," Naruto took Sasuke's hand in his. "It's okay. We can go to these parties together and make fun of all those idiots and six months is a lot of time! You'll be fine. I know that once you get the right inspiration you'll write a ton of great songs! And I'm sure every label'll give you a great deal so it doesn't matter which you pick. You don't need drugs. I promise."

"Don't patronize me," Sasuke said, his voice lacking the venom of a truly angry man.

"I'm not. I just want you to out live me."

"You're being melodramatic Dobe." Sasuke said reluctantly drawing his hand back, "I liked this little reunion better when I thought you were hitting on me."

"I can hit on you when you're out of the hospital. Oh! And you can hear the songs I wrote about you." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I mean if you want. Some of 'em are kinda lame."

"I bet," Sasuke grinned up at his ex, "Of course you had nowhere to go, but up after your last gem."

"Fuck Her Gently was a great song and I'm gonna put it on an album one day." Naruto said resolutely.

"Hn. If anyone has the persistence to get it done it's you. Anyone who can manage to get a whole school to sign a petition for the cafeteria to start selling instant ramen could certainly get an asinine song on their album."

"Hehe, that was the best idea I ever had. You know Sasuke I'll have to make sure you stay clean and eat properly so we'll have to spend a lot of time together and eat a lot of meals together."

"Wow," Sasuke deadpanned, "don't try and romance too much Dobe or I may not be able to resist the urge to throw you down right here."

"Is that a yes or a no? 'Cause if it's a yes I feel like you should tell your secretary when Uzumaki Naruto calls you wanna talk to him."

"I hate that woman. Orochimaru hired her. He insisted I didn't have time for frivolous phone calls and it'd be better to have a third party screen my calls."

"Yeah, well, I hate her too. I got in a big fight with her once. So, where do you wanna go on our date? I'd say ramen, but I haven't found a good ramen place yet."

"Can we just stay home? I haven't slept in my own bed since I threw Orochimaru out of it. I'll cook. It'll be just like when we had our apartment back in Konoha except Iruka doesn't have my number so we won't have to disconnect the phone to have sex."

Naruto chuckled. "Sure, I love your cooking anyway. I'll see you Friday at seven. But seriously Sasuke stay clean, okay?"

"If you say that one more time I'll punch you."

"Okay, I'll leave you alone. Everyone else wants a chance to talk to you too. Oh, and Kakashi wants me to tell you to pick Fire productions. Bye, teme."

"Naruto," Sasuke reached out and grabbed the blonde's arm, "I don't want to see anyone else right now. Just…just stay for a little while longer."

Naruto grinned brightly down at the petit boy as he reclaimed his seat. "Okay, Sasuke."

"Thanks Dobe," for the first time since they'd played his single on the radio Sasuke felt relaxed and for once without the aid of a bottle of Valium he slept through the whole night.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Some of you may remember this fic. It was already up once. I took it down because of a ridiculous flame. So, if you don't like it don't read it. If it isn't a constructive comment, don't leave it. Haters gonna hate. I'm gonna write. I don't own Naruto.

Naruto had been very serious about dating Sasuke. He called the next day and re-affirmed their plans. Now, he sat on Sasuke's kitchen counter watching the younger boy cook. "Oh man, Sasuke, I almost forgot to tell you. So we met Ino Yamanaka at that party right and she had no idea what the primary colours were. Everyone knows it's green, blue, and orange."

"Dobe those are your favorite colours _not _the primary colours. Anyway she's not as stupid as you think. She speaks perfect Japanese."

"No way! That's crazy man. I mean Shika looked like he was about to kill her if she said one more thing."

"I'm sure her education has been somewhat adjusted toward her career. She's been performing since she was ten. She's probably paying for her parents' summerhouse. I hear she's good at calculating sale's tax too."

"I bet you're still smarter."

Sasuke looked over his shoulder at the older boy, "Who would even suggest I wasn't?"

Naruto snickered and jumped off the counter to snake an arm around the brunet's waist and pull him closer. "I missed being with you like this, teme."

"Really?" Sasuke leaned his head back onto Naruto's shoulder and smirked up at the scarred face, "I barely even thought of you. I was so busy partying it up with all my new rock star friends."

"Psht! You liar!" Naruto said kissing the top of Sasuke's head. "No one forgets Uzumaki once they've had him."

"No matter how hard they try," Sasuke turning around in Naruto's arms and pressing his cheek against a warm shoulder.

"Hey, you better not have been trying to forget me, teme. I don't go away so easily." Naruto nuzzled Sasuke's head.

"Don't I know it."

Naruto placed a hand on Sasuke's cheek and adjusted Sasuke's head so Sasuke looked up at him. Naruto kissed him deeply. "Let's never break up again no matter how far away you go."

"I have a feeling you would follow me even if I tried to leave," Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's neck and wound a hand in his hair. "Kiss me Dobe."

"You don't have to ask, teme." Naruto said dipping down to kiss Sasuke even more passionately than before…until the fire alarm went off anyway.

"Shit the stir fry," Sasuke hastened to pull away from Naruto, ripping the charred pan away from the stove and disconnecting the alarm. "Shit, we'll have to order in."

"Oh man!" Naruto groaned. "I was totally looking forward to eating your cooking. Oh well, let's get Chinese."

"Yeah…" Sasuke's lips pursed as if he were thinking about an unsolvable problem.

"What's the matter? You want something else?"

"No it's fine." Sasuke said.

"No, it isn't. I can tell when something's wrong."

"Naruto, I said it's fine. It's fine, alright. Just make sure they remember the sweet rolls."

"They'd better not forget the fortune cookies too!" Naruto said flipping through the phone book.

"I'm gonna clean up a little," Sasuke began scraping the burnt remnants of their dinner down the drain, switching the disposal on the suck it all down.

Naruto walked into the other room to hear the man that sounded like he'd been speaking English for a month better.

Sasuke took one more look over his shoulder making sure Naruto had left the room before reaching up into his cupboard and pulling out a conveniently placed bottle of Xanax and fifth of Jack. It wasn't until he felt properly medicated that he switched of the disposal and joined Naruto in the living room.

"I hate ordering food. You have to call next time." Naruto said.

"Hn. That'd go well." Sasuke's voice had a bit more edge than he'd like and he couldn't help but feel the little semblance of control he had was chipping away. "Last time I order Chinese I had some nutcase cook hiding out in my bushes for weeks."

"I'll be sure to answer the door when they get here. Hey, are you feeling okay?"

"Never better, why?"

"You look…different. Bad different."

"Different from five minutes ago…wait did you just call me ugly?"

"No! You're not ugly! Forget I said anything."

"I usually do."

"Hey!" Naruto protested still grinning. "So who're you gonna sign with?"

"I don't know," Sasuke snapped. "What are you here on a mission from Hatake? The pervert's been riding my ass to sign with Fire since Orochimaru and I first started having problems."

"Well, 'Kashi said if you signed with us we might be able to go on tour together. Isn't that cool?"

"Another tour," Sasuke looked almost as if he were in pain.

"Poor Sasuke. You must be tired of this kinda stuff, huh? It's all still fun to me." Naruto said pulling Sasuke close to him.

Sasuke drew instinctively closer to Naruto's chest, reveling the both the familiar touch and scent of his lover, "It'd be better if I weren't alone this time. You know if I had more waiting for me in my hotel room than those surprisingly agile fangirls."

Naruto laughed. "I'll wait in your room naked when I think you need a pick me up." Naruto winked. "Did you drink? You breathe smells like liquor."

"Oh yeah, I had a small glass. Do you want something? I've got wine, but no beer."

"Nah, I'm not a wine kind of guy. I'm just worried about you. After that rumor about you being on drugs was right for all I know you do have a drinking problem."

"Tch. I wouldn't worry about all that. Orochimaru's just pissed off that by the end of our relationship I had to be drunk out of my mind to sleep with him."

"Okay," Naruto said skeptically.

"You don't believe me," Sasuke glared pulling minutely away.

"Well, I believed you didn't do coke too. As long as you promise not to get super shit faced unless it's a party or something I'll believe you."

"One drink does not an alcoholic make Naruto."

"I'm just always hearing about these all American girls or boys that get big and become drug addicts."

"Well I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. I was never an all American boy to begin with."

"Yeah, I knew that, but I'm just sayin' if they can become drug addicts you could too."

Sasuke laughed, a hint bitterly in Naruto's opinion, "You think it's harder for someone like Ino Yamanaka to became a dope fiend than anyone else? Trust me Naruto, it's not. You don't understand yet. It all still has it's sparkly novelty for you, but once that wears off it's work, and pressure. It's not like fucking around in the garage. You don't have all the time in the world to write songs, you don't get to go home and relax.

"You've got the same shitty apartment because overnight stardom is just a pipe dream and it actually takes a lot more time to get one of those 'Cribs' houses than you previously believed, but the worst part isn't the lack of money, or even the pressure. It's the homesickness. It's missing the place you thought you couldn't get out of fast enough.

"And that's how you end up sleeping with sixty year old men just to feel someone against you when you go to sleep or snorting coke with brain dead, mediocre guitarists just to have the energy and desire to work when you really just want to go home and sleep in your own bed with the idiot who wakes them up every night with 'sexy hugs'."

"Sasu-chan, if you wanted to come home you know you could have. No one would've cared if you didn't want the stardom. You could've moved back in with me and I would've given you as many sexy hugs as you can handle.

"You musta felt really lonely out in L.A. by yourself, but I'm here now and we can go back to how we were."

"Do you really think so?" Sasuke asked trying his damnedst to sound jaded and not just plain desperate (which is how he felt). "It's different now. I'm different now."

"You're not that different. You're still exactly like the Sasuke I remember. You're stubborn and strong willed, but you're still vulnerable at times even if you won't admit and I love all of those things about you."

"Hn," Sasuke chuckled slightly managing to feel relieved, something only Naruto had ever been able to make him feel. "So let's hear these songs about me."

"Right now?" Naruto blinked. "I don't have my guitar or anything and some of 'em are so embarrassing."

"I've got one. It's Suigetsu's actually, but I doubt he even knows it's gone." Sasuke stood up and disappeared into a back room, returning a few minutes later with a blue acoustic Fender, "It's a real American made Fender too."

"Okay, you can hear 'em, but they're pretty lame." Naruto took the guitar and sat down on Sasuke's couch. He closed his eyes as if trying to remember the song he'd been practicing nonstop for his up coming concert.

_It must be your skin that I'm sinkin' in must be for real 'cause now I can feel_

_And I didn't mind it's not my kind it's not my time to wonder why_

_Everything's gone white and everything's gray_

_Now you're here now you're away_

_I don't want this remember that I'll never forget where you're at_

_Don't let the days go by_

_Glycerine glycerine_

_I'm never alone. I'm alone all the time._

_Are you at one or do you lie_

_We live in a wheel where everyone steals but when we rise it's like strawberry fields _

_If I treated you bad you bruise my face couldn't love you more you've gotta a beautiful taste_

_Don't let the days go by_

_Coulda been easier on you I couldn't change though I wanted to_

_Shoulda been easier by three our old friend fear and you and me_

_Glycerine glycerine_

_Don't let the days go by_

_Glycerine_

_Don't let the days go by_

_Glycerine glycerine_

_Glycerine glycerine_

_Bad mood whine again bad mood whine again as she falls around me._

_I needed you more, when we wanted us less I could not kiss just regress._

_It must be clear simple and plain. Well, that's just fine that's just one of my names._

_Don't let days go by._

_Coulda been easier on you, you, you_

_Glycerine glycerine_

_Glycerine glycerine._

Naruto finished strumming the last notes of the song and looked at Sasuke. "It's a lot better with the rest of the instruments."

Sasuke's brow furrowed somewhere between flattery and hurt, "Did you write this when you broke up?"

Naruto scratched at the back of his head. "Well, yeah. That's when I wrote most of the songs that're gonna be on our first album. Do you not like it?"

"I like the parts that aren't about us fighting." Sasuke said.

"Yeah…I was just upset for awhile. I'll write happier songs now that I have you back." Naruto put the guitar aside.

"You'd better," Sasuke smirked punching Naruto's shoulder playfully, "Or I'll tell the press about you crying for a half-hour after _The Notebook_."

"Hey! That was a really sad movie! When he finally got her back they died, but at the same time it was so beautiful that they got to die together!" Naruto clenched his fist beginning to tear up again.

"You are such a woman sometimes."

"_You_'re calling _me_ a woman?"

"I don't cry at the end of Sakura's chick flicks. In fact I don't even watch most of them."

"Yeah, but I'm not the one that would watch _What Not To Wear_ with Iruka or correct Kiba's outfits."

"Having good fashion sense does _not _make me a women. Remember Temari?"

"Temari's a dike it's different. Remember how Sakura thought she was gonna end up with Shika?" Naruto laughed at the memory. "And then Temari hit on her."

"Sakura isn't quite as intuitive as she'd like to think. She thought I was straight for years despite my coming out. It took her walking in on us to finally believe it."

"She's not the brightest crayon in the box all the time. God, it really pissed me off when she hit on you."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "You couldn't possibly have felt threatened by Sakura."

Naruto pulled Sasuke down to the couch and on top of him. "I just don't like other people thinking they have a chance with you."

"Oh? So I guess now would be a bad time to mention that threesome Kakashi and I talked about."

"What? I can kick his ass and he knows it!"

Sasuke chuckled tilting his head up and bringing his lips unbearable close to Naruto's, "Hey Dobe, how would you like to race the delivery man? We'll have to skip the foreplay of course."

Naruto snickered and kissed Sasuke. "He's got a head start, but I'll try it."

* * *

><p>"After weeks of silence Sasuke Uchiha has finally announced that he will be signing with Fire Music Productions, but surprisingly this announcement went virtually unnoticed as the singer has been seen around town looking very comfortable with music's newest piece of eye candy Naruto Uzumaki, front man of overnight sensation 'Kiss and Tell.'<p>

"Rumors that these two had a previous romantic connection have yet to be addressed by either party, but no matter the circumstances these two are the hottest gay celebrity couple since Ellen Degeneres and Porsche DeRossi."

Kakashi smiled at the TV, very happy that both of the biggest celebrities at the moment were under his management. "This certainly is good advertising for all of you."

Kakashi said to the band that had been joined by Sasuke and Ino.

"I don't care if it's good advertising. I'm just happy that Sasuke and I are back together." Naruto smiled holding Sasuke's hand.

"Aww! Too cute!" Ino cooed, "You two are like something out of a Meg Ryan movie!"

"No, we're cuter." Naruto said.

"Awww!" Ino clapped her hands in delight, "You guys should do one of those music videos where they have all those candles burning and the sheer sheets blowing and than you pan in and they're all makin' out and cuddling and—"

"That sounds like a fire hazard," Sasuke said cutting the dreamy-eyed blonde off before visions of he and Naruto making passionate love where dictated to the whole room. "Kakashi I'm sure you didn't call us here to watch E! news so what do you want?"

"I want to take our three biggest attractions on tour, which at the moment is you all. Although, now I'm considering that music video, I think it'd be a big hit."

"When would we leave and what cities would we be hitting?" Sasuke asked choosing to ignore the comment about Ino's perverse music video suggestion.

"Well, we'd leave at the end of the month and hit all the major cities from here to New York. Hitting the Southern States on the way back of course."

"The end of the month," Sasuke's face fell a bit, "So soon?"

"If you don't promote as soon as the single comes out you won't get enough airplay to sell CDs," Ino said in a surprisingly sage way. "It's convenient we all premier new albums at the same time. We should be able to hit a broader range of audience with all three of us. Those who don't come for Sasuke will come for me and vice versa. Plus you'll have 'Kiss and Tell's new release still fresh."

Shikamaru looked at Ino in shock. "When the hell did you learn so much about music sales?"

"Don't underestimate her. She's been doing this for a long time." Kakashi said. "We were also hoping to cash in on Naruto and Sasuke's new relationship. If you two were to write a duet together for the tour, I'd appreciate it."

"You want us to write and perform a song on tour," Sasuke looked overwhelmed just at the thought. "I suppose we could do that. It may not be finished until the end half, but it'll be good to come out with something new just as sales are winding down."

"Yeah and it'll set you up for some good publicity. You'll be all over MTV, E!, the gossip columns will eat this up too. You should try to be seen being all lovey-dovey in public some more too." Ino suggested.

"By the way," Ino turned to the remaining band members, "You all need to see a trainer and shrink down the clothes. You are seriously lacking in sex appeal. You're lucky your front man is boning _People _magazine's sexiest man alive 2009."

"Are you calling me fat?" Sakura yelled.

"She's right. The only one of you that girls or men are showing any interest in is Naruto. I'll set up a training session with Gai for you all. I expect you to see him every day until the tour."

Shikamaru groaned. "You've got to be kidding me. What a pain!"

"Gai, oh he's great," Ino assured, "He helped me right out of my awkward phase."

"He is pretty amazing." Sasuke confirmed, "You can literally bounce a quarter off my ass now."

"Yeah, Sasuke's ass is the best it's ever been and it was pretty good before." Naruto added.

"Okay, if I can have an ass like Sasuke's, I'm in." Sakura said.

"I don't want to have to go to a gym." Shikamaru continued to bitch.

"And I expect you to follow his diet." Kakashi said.

Shikamaru groaned loudly and Naruto's jaw hit the floor while Sakura looked slightly concerned.

"Pft, I don't know about all that," Ino said, "He took me off my primary colours diet and now he has me doing this weird high nutrient low calorie diet. Like that's gonna work."

"I promise this will all pay off. At the end of your time with Gai you'll all look like David Beckham. Except for Sakura. By the way, Sakura, start that high nutrient low calorie diet now. He's going to put you on it anyway and you could use the extra time." Kakashi looked at Sakura disapprovingly.

"I am not fat!" Sakura screamed.

"No, you've just got that freshmen fifteen look," Ino said in a manner that suggested she was trying to be comforting. "Hey do you guys think Sakura has time to get a boob job before we go. We could probably put a rush on the appointment and healing time is shorter than ever now. I was actually thinking about having one myself. You know what they say C is the new B."

"That's a good idea." Kakashi said. "I'll check with Dr. Shizune to make sure you'll be healed in time. I want you in skimpy outfits during the tour after all."

"I don't want a boob job!" Sakura yelled.

Kakashi looked at Sakura's chest. "Are you sure about that?"

"I guess she could do the Avirl Lavigne thing," Ino mused.

"As imperative as Sakura's impending boob job is to the tour I think I'd prefer practicing or even writing that duet to planning it." Sasuke said.

"Alright, Sasuke, Naruto, get to work on that duet and all of you stay in shape. Oh, and I want all of you to attend a party. The Hyuuga family's holding a charity event. Apparently their heiress is very concerned about cancer of some sort."

"Oh my publicist already has me going to that," Ino said.

"I'm supposed to be seen with Neji as much as possible to diffuse those rumors that I call him a pompous pretty boy who had nothing going for him, but nepotism and over conditioned hair." Sasuke said.

"Did you really say that?" Ino asked.

"Yeah, but I can't have the public know that because it alienates his fangirls, who are apparently my central fan base as well."

* * *

><p>Despite how many parties Sakura went to she always got star struck and it was particularly bad at the Hyuuga party. "Oh my gosh!" Sakura squealed pointing at a brunette woman with pale eyes. "That's the Hyuuga heiress! I read that she acts all prim and proper, but actually she's a total slut!"<p>

"Sakura, she's like five feet away I think she heard you." Shikamaru said.

"Oh no!" Sakura gasped.

"Hello," The topic of conversation approached blushing slightly, but otherwise holding her composure. "It's wonderful such busy people could come support our cause. We really appreciate it. Stars of your status bring us a lot of publicity."

Kiba's face lit up and after finally managing to pull his eyes of the girls chest he spoke a line he was sure to get him in, "Yeah, well we hate breast cancer."

The girl blushed a deeper shade of red, "Uh…m-me too, but we're actually a women and children's advocate society."

Naruto outright laughed at Kiba's mistake. "Oh man, that's priceless."

"Some kind of cancer my ass. Kakashi has no idea what he's talking about." Sakura muttered. "Oh, I-I'm sure you're not….uh promiscuous too."

"Hinata's a member of the abstinence awareness society," Sasuke reappeared drinks for both he and Naruto in his hands. "How are you Hinata?"

"I'm fine thank you." The girl answered looking relieved that Sasuke had managed to divert the group's attention and save her from a potentially embarrassing situation.

"I see you've met my old band, 'Kiss and Tell' and this is their front man and my boyfriend, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Hey, nice to meet you. Man, you must be some kinda saint to go without sex for this long." Naruto extended a hand for the girl to shake.

"Uh," Hinata's hand went limp in Naruto's. "T-Thank you."

Sasuke smacked the back of his lover's head, "You'll have to forgive him. He has a one track mind."

"Geez," Ino groaned pushing past the caters and grabbing a lit cigarette from someone's hand, "These charity bits are such a bore."

"We can smoke in here?" Sasuke said cigarette already in his mouth and leaning forward to light off Ino's.

Naruto frowned. "I wish you'd quit smoking. It's really bad for you."

"Well you'll get your way soon enough. I never smoke on tour it makes my voice too gruff sounding."

Naruto brightened up at this. "Good. Then you should just quit all together afterward. I'll buy you that gum and everything."

"Don't hold your breath Dobe," Sasuke blew a cloud of smoke in his lover's direction before pressing their lips together.

"I guess we probably shouldn't smoke at a cancer benefit," Ino mused seemingly unaffected by the kissing couple.

"It's actually for chicks and their kids," Kiba corrected.

"Women and children," Hinata murmured.

"Oh, okay then," Ino said taking a big drag on her stolen cigarette.

"This is so boring." Shikamaru groaned. "What do people do at these things?"

"Usually there's a silent auction or something," Ino answered.

"Ugh," Shikamaru groaned taking Ino's cigarette and hot boxing it. "I should've become an engineer."

"Come on, guys, don't be so down. We get to meet a lot of celebrities and help those chicks and Sasuke can be seen with Neji." Naruto said.

"Yeah I guess we should get to it," Ino said taking her stolen cigarette back from Shikamaru. "C'mon I'll introduce you guys to everyone. Well everyone worth knowing anyway."

The band followed Ino as Naruto mused. "So is it just me or does that girl have ironically huge boobs for someone saving herself for marriage?"

"Dobe!" Sasuke smacked his boyfriend upside the head, "She doesn't have a say in her physique. She's not like Ino."

"I'm just sayin'!" Naruto protested putting his arm around Sasuke's waist despite the fact that he'd just hit him.

Fortunately for Naruto before he could be banished to the couch (or worse) an even bigger thorn in Sasuke's side came out of the woodwork. "Hey babe, this the guy humping you?" Suigetsu in his never-ending tact asked.

"What are you doing at a charity event?" Sasuke asked moving instinctively closer to Naruto.

"What're you talking about Sas baby? I love AIDs."

"This is a women and children's charity benefit." Sasuke corrected.

"Yeah, I like those too."

Naruto stood in front of Sasuke as if to protect him from Suigetsu's drugs. "Go away, Hoozuki. Sasuke doesn't want to talk to you. He's clean now."

"Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it," Suigetsu rolled his eyes. "He's gonna come crawlin' back to me when he needs more."

"Go away." Naruto growled balling his hands into fists.

"Whoa tiger, cool it. I'm just here to talk to Sasuke."

"What do you want Suigetsu?" Sasuke asked barely sparing the man a glance, as if the mere effort of moving his eyes wasn't worth the view.

"Same thing I've wanted since I first saw you, baby. I wanna see what's in those over priced manties." Suigetsu thrust his pelvis back and forth until Naruto shoved him causing him to fall to the ground.

"Get lost before I kick your ass," Naruto glared down at him.

"Baby, defend me."

"Naruto don't make a scene," Sasuke said grabbing Naruto's bicep and pulling him back a step or two. "He's harmless."

"I don't like him." Naruto growled. "He gave you coke and he's trying to get in your pants! And I can't believe you're actually defending him!"

"What can I say, man? He loves me." Suigetsu shrugged.

Naruto took a step toward the man, malicious intent clear in his eyes, but Sasuke held him back. "Naruto stop," Sasuke said, exhaustion obvious in his voice, "Let's just go mingle with Ino."

Naruto put an arm around Sasuke holding him closer than usual as they walked toward Ino. "I hate that guy."

"I realize, but a charity benefit is not the best place make it known." Sasuke said.

"Yeah, I guess." Naruto said, clearly still peeved.

* * *

><p>The tour had Sasuke on edge although if you asked any third party observer they wouldn't have noticed a thing, but Naruto was not just some third party observer. Getting back together with Sasuke had seemed to be the best for both of them, since Naruto had moved in Sasuke seemed more at ease than ever. He smiled and even laughed real, genuine laughter and smiles. Not the mocking smirks or condescending chuckles he was so well known for.<p>

But recently things had changed. Usually in the mornings he and Sasuke made love and afterward Sasuke would go into the kitchen and make coffee while Naruto cooked pounds of breakfast meat. Lately, however, Naruto would wake up alone usually finding a strung out looking Sasuke surrounded by sheet music and half finished lyrics on the living room floor.

It was after a night where Naruto had gone to bed alone and found Sasuke still awake and playing the same three chords over and over in quick succession like an accelerated Ramones record, that Naruto decided to ask Kakashi for some time off.

"Time off?" Kakashi blinked. "You have a tour coming up."

"Yeah, but Sasuke…he's not okay. This tour put a lot of pressure on him and I think he might be doing drugs again. I wanna take the time to get him off drugs. And I was wondering if we could push the tour back a month?" Naruto looked at Kakashi pleadingly.

"No. A month is a year in the music industry. You can take the time off, but you're all still doing that tour."

"Fine," Naruto sulked.

* * *

><p>When Naruto returned from his visit with Kakashi Sasuke wasn't home and Naruto decided to turn the house upside down looking for Sasuke's drugs. When the house looked like a tornado had passed through it and a half hour had passed, Naruto had found two bottles full of pills.<p>

It was only a few minutes later that Sasuke came home to find a pissed off Naruto holding his pills. "What the fuck is this?" Naruto asked shaking the pill bottle.

"Calm down Naruto," Sasuke looked unmoved by his raging boyfriend simply plopping his keys down on the table and removing his large sunglasses casually. "They're just diet pills. Dr. Shizune gave them to me for the tour."

"I'm not stupid, Sasuke! I know a drug addict when I see one! It's me or these pills! Pick now!"

"Naruto don't do this to me right now. I can't handle," Sasuke's hand shot out to catch himself on the table. When he had started falling neither man knew, but it hardly mattered as the side of Sasuke's head hit the table and tears welled in the younger man's eyes.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled dropping the pill bottles in favor of running to Sasuke's side. He kneeled down pulling Sasuke to lean on him. "I'll call a doctor." Naruto whipped out his cell phone and immediately began dialing.

"Stop," Sasuke took the phone from Naruto's hand and flipped it shut. "It's fine. My blood sugar is just low right now. It's been awhile since I've had something to eat."

"These pills are making you sick." Naruto growled carrying Sasuke bridal-style to the couch. "And you have to eat more."

"I know. It's just I've got to crank out that single before the tour so we can get the album to the radio stations and have the songs officially overplayed by the time we get to the Midwest so the tickets will sell and merchandise will get stocked in Hot Topic and I don't want the curse of the sophomore album and—"

"Sasuke, baby, you have to slow down and stop worrying. You're never going to get work done if you keep this up. All you're doing is hurting yourself. You have to quit taking these pills. I took some time off to help you."

"You took time off? But why? You're fine. Your album is selling like mad, you ought to try and come out with a few new songs on tour to promote your next album."

"I took time off because you're not fine and becoming a rock star isn't as important to me as you are."

"Hmm," Sasuke released a sigh and sat up to wrap his arms around Naruto. "Maybe Kakashi'll give me some time off too. We could go on a date. We haven't done that since Kakashi announced the tour."

Naruto kissed Sasuke's neck. "Yeah, I wanna go on another date with you. Somewhere really nice and romantic. I'm sure if you told him you needed the time to get into performing shape for the time he'd give it to you."

"Is that what you did?" Sasuke grinned, knowing full well Naruto had probably just waltzed into Kakashi's office and demanded time off for Sasuke's intervention or whatever it was he'd been planning.

"No, I kinda just went in and told him I wanted the time to make you healthy again." Naruto admitted.

Sasuke chuckled, "Let's go to lunch Dobe."

"Yeah, you need to eat."

* * *

><p>"Sasuke's on diet pills!" The band was on their way to their first session with Gai when Naruto decided to drop the bomb, obviously not taking Sakura's predictable reaction into consideration. "I can't believe this. Here we are busting our asses to look hot on tour and he gets diet pills! That is so unfair."<p>

"Sakura, this is serious! I don't think all the pills I found were for dieting." Naruto said.

"So he gets other shit too!" Sakura had not taken this the way Naruto had hoped. In fact if things progressed Sakura and Sasuke would be having a joint intervention.

Naruto's musings were cut short as the group entered the private gym and were immediately greeted by a bounding green mass of spandex with a bad haircut.

"Hello my worthy new students! I am Gai and I shall be teaching you today!" The man struck a pose and everyone seemed mortified for him except of course for Naruto who seemed impressed.

Kakashi walked in to the gym. "Good, you al—"

"Kakashi, my worthy rival! Prepare yourself!" Gai lunged himself at a sighing Kakashi who easily dodged.

"Gai, now, is really not the time."

"This is so cool! Like a Chinese action movie!" Naruto cheered.

Sasuke and Ino, who had arrived early and were warming up in the corner took one look at the scene and slumped against a wall. "I guess we're not getting any cardio today," Ino said pulling out a pill bottle from between her chest and popping a few red capsules like she'd been doing it all her life (or at least since twelve). "Want one," Ino offered her fellow pop veteran.

"No, he doesn't!" Naruto yelled pulling Sasuke away from Ino.

"Alright," Ino shrugged, "Anyone else?"

"What are they?" Sakura asked.

"Phentermine." Ino said.

"Isn't that illegal?" Sakura asked.

"Not in South America."

"Ino, never offer those to Sasuke again." Naruto said.

"Why is he allergic?" Ino said looking confused as to what she had apparently done wrong. After all she'd only be doing the courteous thing in offering her pills to her friend.

"No," Shikamaru said taking the pill bottle from her to examine the pills. "These things will kill you. Do you have an idea what diet pills like this do to your blood pressure?"

"Sure, they're amphetamine based so they dilate your blood vessels and cause your heart rate to sky rocket," Ino answered matter-of-factly.

"If you know that, why're you taking them?" Shikamaru glared at the evil pills in his hands like they'd ruined his childhood.

"Duh, they're great for putting a little pep in your step on tour or giving you the energy to pull an all nighter or even just lose a couple pounds before shooting a music video or something. I've been taking 'em since I debuted in Japan. You wouldn't believe what sticklers they are about weight over there." Ino said.

"Are you kidding? You've been taking 'em that long?" Shikamaru spilled the pills onto the floor and stepped on them. "Oops. My bad." He deadpanned.

Sasuke and Ino suppressed a moan of disappointment, but it was Sakura who actually spoke up, "Hey, I wanted one of those."

"Sorry, Sakura. I guess you'll have to get your own stroke pills."

"I know the name of a great doctor!" Ino volunteered.

"Ino," Sasuke shook his head, "quit while you're ahead."

Shikamaru glared at the pills that had been reduced to white powder on the ground. "You're so stupid it's painful, Ino."

"You know Shika just 'cause a girl won't sleep with you doesn't make her stupid." Ino smirked up at the MIT graduate. "And by the way, those pills have a break 'em and buy 'em policy."

"Burn!" Kiba screamed as the rest of the group stood momentarily stunned and speechless and Sasuke outright laughed at Shikamaru's embarrassment.

"Yeah, right." Shikamaru tried to brush off the incident. "I'm not trying to get into your pants and I'm not paying for those pills."

"Kakashi!" Gai yelled having finished his fight with Kakashi. "With this loss, I'm behind by one fight, but next time we meet I'll be stronger and I will defeat you to tie our score!"

"Kakashi, what the hell was that about?" Shikamaru asked hoping to draw the group's attention away from his massive burn.

Kakashi took a deep breath launching into explanation. "Well, when I was nineteen I was an up and coming rock star. Me and two of my friends formed the one hit wonder The Jounins. Anyway, while we were big we trained with Gai and he was impressed with how quickly I picked up all the fighting styles he taught us. Before I knew it I'd made a rival out of him."

"You were in a band Kakashi?" Naruto yelled. "No way! What happened? Why didn't you come out with more songs?"

"Well, Obito died and I haven't seen Rin since his funeral."

"Super, does this mean we can finally get in some exercise?" Sasuke said sounding peeved at best, "I have a 180 calorie breakfast to work off."

"You eat breakfast?" Ino said, "You should just stick with coffee. The caffeine raises your metabolism without the calories."

"No! Sasuke needs to eat! He's weak all the time!" Naruto yelled at the girl.

"Listen my students!" Gai called the attention back to himself. "I lost to Kakashi! That means we all have to train as hard as we can! Let's do sixty push-ups together to warm-up!"

* * *

><p>"Oh my god," Naruto guzzled down a water bottle sitting in the gym after they'd finished a very extensive work out with Gai. "I've never done such a hardcore work out."<p>

Shikamaru sat on a bench refusing to get up. "I'm not coming here again."

"Pussies." Kakashi said.

"I don't know," Ino said pinching the invisible bulges on her thighs, "My ass still feels a little jiggly." The blonde jumped as if a visual aid might convince the group she was anything short of anorexic. "See?"

"Looks good to me," Kiba leered.

"I've seen better." Shikamaru said trying to get back at the girl for earlier.

"Let's go eat, Sasuke. Working out makes me hungry." Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's chest.

"Dobe," Sasuke rolled his eyes, leaning his head on Naruto's chest despite the heat. "Don't you think gorging yourself right after you work out is slightly counterproductive?"

"But Gai put me on a high protein diet so I want eat lots of steak."

"If you get fat I'll leave you," Sasuke teased.

"I'd never get fat. I'm one hundred percent manly sexiness and you know it."

Another roll of his eyes and Sasuke was on his feet, "C'mon dobe, let's go bulk you up. I'll even let you buy me dinner."

Naruto grinned. "How nice of you. Let's go, baby." Naruto got to his feet and took Sasuke's hand as the two made toward the door.

Shikamaru sighed at the girl still pinching her nonexistent fat. "Are you really insane enough to think you're fat?"

"But you just said I had a fat ass," Ino released her sides in favor of staring in perplexity at Shikamaru.

"I wasn't serious. How could anyone think your fat? You're anorexic."

"No, Mary-Kate Olsen's anorexic. I'm more bulimic skinny, but without all that throwing up. This smile is worth way too much for me to fuck it up with stomach acid." Ino said relaxing a bit and taking a seat beside Shikamaru.

"How can you be bulimic without throwing up? That doesn't make any sense." Shikamaru looked genuinely confused at the girl.

"Not bulimic," Ino correct, "Bulimic skinny, you know like I look thin, but without that whole clavicle thing."

"Well, I'm going to have lunch. If you're actually going to eat, you can come." Shikamaru stood up offering the girl a hand.

"Are you asking me out?" Ino smiled in mock coyness.

"You know I am. Are you coming or not?"

"'Kay," Ino sprung up without the assistant of Shikamaru's hand, "I know a great place where the press won't spot us. You know so I don't have to eat a whole burger and fries."

"So basically you want to come to lunch with me where the press won't see us not for privacy, but so you don't have to eat?"

"Well not just that," Ino blushed, a rare sign that she actually had a shred of shame.

Shikamaru smiled slightly at the girl, the first smile the girl had seen from him. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Kakashi looked at Kiba after the pair had left. "You do realize that you're now the only one in the band not sleeping with someone way out of their league, don't you?"<p>

"Sakura's single too," Kiba pointed out. "And I got that Hinata girl's number the other night. When I'm done with her she won't even know the meaning of the word abstinence."

"Good luck with that." Kakashi said clearly unconvinced as he looked at Sakura who was dealing with a mini-Gai hanging all over her.

As it turned out Sasuke and Ino had had the same idea about where to eat and the two couples ended up having a coincidental double date. The four sat at a table, surprisingly free of prying eyes, Sasuke and Ino hesitantly nibbling at their lunch while Naruto crammed his face full of steak and potatoes (despite Sasuke explaining to him that potatoes were a starch and not even remotely close to a high protein food).

"So you're with Ino now?" Naruto asked between bites of food. "Nice job, man."

"I'm not 'with her'. We're just on a date." Shikamaru clarified.

"Excuse me," Ino waved over a waitress; oblivious that she had become the topic of conversation. "Can I get another plate?"

"Sure…" The women looked confused, but left without another word.

"Ino, what are you doing?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm organizing my salad." Ino said.

"That's stupid. Aren't you just gonna eat it all anyway?" Naruto asked.

"Well yeah, but if I eat it all at once I won't be able to keep track of the calories."

"Isn't this a sign of an eating disorder?" Shikamaru said.

"I dunno. I don't know anyone with an eating disorder," Ino shrugged, busily stacking her carrots into three rows.

"Are you kidding?" Shikamaru asked. "Have you looked in a mirror? You take diet pills, barely eat, and when you do eat you eat like this."

"Nuh-huh," Ino shook her head violently in protest. "If I'm in an interview or something I eat tons. My publicist says it's important to show people I'm healthy."

"But you aren't." Shikamaru pointed to the organized food.

"You know you're kinda ruining this date for me," Ino said. "Let's talk about something else. Like how come if you're so smart you only went to that college they always advertise on TV."

"You're thinking of ITT. MIT is a great school for engineering."

"So you like drive trains and stuff."

Shikamaru face palmed. "No."

"Shika, dude, you're not gonna get another date if you treat her like that. You gotta be nicer." Naruto said.

"So what do engineers do?" Ino asked, looking embarrassed and even a little hurt.

"I'm a computer engineer. I program software and make software." Shikamaru explained.

"So basically he's a nerd." Naruto laughed earning a glare from Shikamaru for embarrassing him.

"Software? Like itunes!" Ino squealed. "That is so cool!"

"Whatever impresses you," Shikamaru said. "It's something solid to fall back on if this doesn't work out."

"Boy you sound like my dad. He's always trying to get me to go to college." Ino said.

"Haven't you been in this industry long enough to have built a cushion of money for yourself in case you ever lose the popularity?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah, but I pay for my sister's college and stuff too. So, I've got that along with the mortgages to my beach house and my place at Martha's Vineyard. Plus all the money I spend on primping." Ino said, "It's okay though. I'll probably be able to pull off a Madonna. The girl who writes my songs is great at keeping things fresh."

"Just don't depend too much on music. People just go with whatever's big and if it isn't you you're just gonna get pushed aside."

"I guess I'll just have to make sure I stay on top. Like Keith Richards or Cher or Madonna or Jiraiya Kayaku." Ino said, "It's not like I have any other options. I'm not very smart and I don't really have any marketable skills."

"Actually, you're a lot smarter than I thought you'd be. You know a lot about things you take an interest in. I'm sure if you went to college to study something you liked you'd be fine."

"You think I'm smart," Ino smiled in a way that made it all too heartbreaking for Shikamaru to explain what he really met.

"Well, you're not the dumbest person I know. That title belongs to Naruto." Shikamaru smirked at the reaction he knew was coming.'

"Hey! I'm not that stupid!"

"You don't have to be smart babe. You're pretty," Sasuke said snidely pecking Naruto on the nose.

"That's not fair. You get to be smart and pretty." Naruto said kissing Sasuke's cheek.

"We can't all be as lucky as me," Sasuke smirked. "Come on hot stuff we've got the rest of the afternoon off, let's go home so I can take a nap. Ever since you threw out my phentermine I've been sleeping like a pregnant woman."

"As long as you're not on drugs I don't care how much you sleep. Bye, guys." Naruto said taking Sasuke's hand and leading him out the door.

There was a pause before Shikamaru said, "Did that bastard just leave me to pay his bill?"

Ino giggled, "Don't worry Shika, I've got this."

"You can't pay." Shikamaru looked at the girl as if she'd grown a second head. "You're the girl. Girls don't pay on dates."

"Why not? I have the most money." Ino said already waving over the waiter, "You can pay next time if you want. That way we'll be even."

"It's a matter of chivalry and male pride. You just can't pay." Shikamaru said taking his wallet out.

Ino shrugged as the waiter returned with their bill, "You can pay if you want. It really doesn't matter to me."

"Good." Shikamaru said taking the check.

"So, umm, I had fun today."

"Me too." Shikamaru grinned so faintly the girl barely noticed. "We should do this again sometime soon."

"Yeah," Ino scooted her chair closer to Shikamaru and after a small second of shared contentment she pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Shikamaru deepened the kiss putting his arms around the girl's waist to hold her close.

Ino pulled away and looked Shikamaru in the eye with a serious countenance, "Before we get serious you should probably know something."

"What is it?" Shikamaru asked the blonde warily.

"This isn't my real nose."

Shikamaru snickered. "Well, that is pretty serious, but somehow I think I'll get over it."

"Well as long as it doesn't bother you," and with that Ino lunged forward and recaptured Shikamaru's lips.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Some of you may remember this fic. It was already up once. I took it down because of a ridiculous flame. So, if you don't like it don't read it. If it isn't a constructive comment, don't leave it. Haters gonna hate. I'm gonna write. I don't own Naruto.

Sasuke's nap was short lived. He should've realized that Naruto wouldn't let him sleep. When he wasn't waking him up with a sexy hug he was waking him up because he was bored. So, with a whole night to kill and Kakashi telling them to make connections Naruto and Sasuke decided to hit the town and where better to go then where all A-list celebs hung out, a club called _Slug_ owned by former 'Sanin' member Tsunade.

"I can't believe you're taking me to _Slug _after putting so much emphasis on keeping me clean," The pair easily skipped the line and walked up to the VIP. "Shit Suigetsu's here and he brought Karin."

"Sasuke!" A brunette girl threw herself at Sasuke only to be pulled off by Naruto. "Oh, is this that Uzumaki guy you're supposedly dating? You know you can always come to me when you get sick of him." The girl bent over slightly to show her assets.

"He doesn't want you, he wants me. Right, Sas baby?" Suigetsu walked toward Sasuke with open arms only to be shoved away by Naruto.

"He doesn't want either of you!" Naruto yelled at the pair.

"Come on Naruto, I'll introduce you to the only member of that band worth knowing," Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arms and led him over to a redhead of questionable gender with a bandana even Naruto knew was unfashionable shrouding her head. "Naruto this is Tayuya, she's the drummer for Mist. We met at Suigetsu's twenty-fifth.

"Tayuya this is my boyfriend Naruto."

Tayuya extended her hand for Naruto to shake, "Nice to finally meet you. I know more about you than I've ever desired to know about any man."

Naruto laughed and shook the girl's hand. "Yeah? Did Sasuke tell you about me?"

"_All _about you."

"Alright Tayuya he gets the picture," Sasuke glared down the girl whose mouth had grown far too large for her face. "Dobe, I'm going to go see if I can find Tsunade. Do you want a drink?"

"Yeah, sure. Get me a beer?"

"Draft Bud?" Sasuke asked although he already knew the answer.

Naruto kissed Sasuke's cheek. "You know me so well."

"Hn," Sasuke just grinned at his lover leaning slightly into the touch before walking off in pursuit of connections and alcohol.

"If he's not back in five minutes I'd go check on him," Tayuya said.

Naruto frowned. "I know. He's got a real problem. I tried to give him an ultimatum once but he collapsed and we went to lunch and I forgot about it."

"I've never seen anyone go drink for drink with Tsunade before, except her ex-husband of course, but he's usually busy trying to pick Ino Yamanaka or some other huge-chested bimbo."

"Sasuke can go drink for drink with an alcoholic?" Naruto asked concerned. "Maybe it's time to take that ultimatum more seriously."

"I wouldn't worry about it. He seems clean. I mean it doesn't even look like he's been taking those amphetamines Dr. Shizune's always handing out."

"Oh yeah, I threw those away and as long as Ino doesn't give him any I think he'll be okay."

"The last thing that girl needs is amphetamines. I don't think she's had a full meal since 2001."

"I know! We had lunch with her today and—"

"Hey babe," Sasuke popped up behind his boyfriend passing the older man a drinking and attaching himself to the other's side. "What are you two talking about?"

"How anorexic Ino is." Naruto answered taking his beer from Sasuke. "Didja find Tsunade?"

"Yeah she's at the bar. Come on I want to introduce you," Sasuke linked his hand with Naruto's but made no move.

"Bye, Tayuya it was nice meeting you." Naruto grinned that Sasuke had come back with in five minute. "C'mon, baby, I wanna meet Tsunade."

"You just want to ask her about Jiraiya," Sasuke rolled his eyes, but his smile never disappeared as he directed them to the bar.

"Maaaaybe." Naruto smirked as they reached the bar. "Hey, Tsunade. I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I'm a big fan of 'Sanin'." Naruto held his hand out for the busty blonde to shake. "You musta had a ton of plastic surgery. You're old enough to be my grandma, but you look like Ino."

"You brat," The nipped and tucked blonde said punching Naruto hard in the jaw. "I oughta kick you off my label."

"Naruto, Tsunade not only owns this bar, but she's the president of Fire Record Productions. Something you should already know, although it doesn't surprise me you don't. Jiraiya is under our label too." Sasuke explained after apologizing to the offended 'Sanin' member for Naruto's lack of mental filter.

"It was a compliment!" Naruto protested. "Ino's pretty hot!"

"Really?" Sasuke said raising an eyebrow.

"Not as hot as you are!" Naruto insisted. "So, grandma, tell me about Jiraiya. That guy's my hero!"

"Hmph, that chauvinistic, womanizing, out of shape bastard." Tsunade looked over to Sasuke, "If that's who he's idealizing I'd get out now."

"What? I love Sasuke! He knows I'd never cheat on him!" Naruto protested.

"Calm down brat, I was only kidding," Tsunade waved dismissively at Naruto. "Sit down, have a drink, let me see what all the fuss is about.

"Sasuke, the usual, vodka tonic on the rocks."

Sasuke nodded for fear that spoken words would set off Naruto's drug radar.

Naruto sat next to Tsunade, but looked at Sasuke apprehensively. "You have a usual?"

Sasuke groaned, "It's not because I drink to excess. I know you're drink preference after all and you hardly ever drink."

"Square," Tsunade muttered slamming back her drink before ordering another round.

"Hey!" Naruto protested. "I can drink with the best of 'em when I want to! I'm a big guy and alcohol tolerance runs in my family!…Maybe."

"Now who sounds like the alcoholic?" Sasuke smirked up at his lover, his drink already half gone.

"So tell me kid," Tsunade began, her half-drunken gazed fixed on Naruto, "What did you want to know about my pig of an ex-husband."

"Everything! I want to know his favorite band, color, anything."

"Well his favorite musician is himself and his favorite color is pink, I think you can put together why. We went to high school together, along with Orochimaru and he had this idea that if he were in a band he'd get all kinds of action.

"Orochimaru probably just wanted money to buy a little Asian boy and I was the eye candy I suppose. You know a little something to bring male fan base and all that. I usually wouldn't have gone in for this kind of thing, but Jiraiya and I started dating and one thing lead to another and before I knew it I was in a world famous band and married to a man that couldn't keep his spawn out of barely legal super-models."

"And you got to be part of a legendary band that has left a permanent mark on the music industry! You guys are like 'The Beatles'! It's so cool!"

"Flattery will get you everywhere." Tsunade grinned, "I've gotta say it's not all bad. I've got a pretty cushy life, a collection of gold records, and my own label. Now if only I could find someone half my age to date I'd be all caught up to my ex-band mates."

"Sorry, grandma. I know I'm sexy, but I'm taken."

Tsunade laughed, a deep drunken laugh that reminded Naruto of the mall Santa Claus whose breath smelled like cheap whiskey. "I've got enough money to buy a whole escort service. If I wanted a rugged piece of man meat like you I could have one. I could have twenty."

"Tsunade and I actually met because 'Sanin' was considering a reunion concert." Sasuke said.

"Yeah, Orochimaru brought Sasuke and Jiraiya brought Swedish twins."

Naruto completely ignored what Tsunade said. "A reunion concert! That'd be so epic! I'd go!"

"Orochimaru didn't go for it," Sasuke said.

"Ugh! I hate that guy! First he steals Sasuke and now he's shitting all over my parade! Grandma, you and Jiraiya don't need him! He brought down the band anyway!" Naruto said.

"He's their percussionist Dobe." Sasuke said as if this was supposed to explain the lack of reunion, which it was and would have with anyone other than Naruto.

"So what? He brought down the band! I could drum better than him!"

"No you couldn't." Sasuke said, "But you do _many _other things better than him."

"He is the reason we broke up the band or he was the catalyst at least." Tsunade said only adding fuel to Naruto's fire.

"That bastard! That's it! I'll learn how to drum and I'll be tons better than him and then you really won't need him for that concert!"

"Moron you have your own band. You're touring with them remember." Sasuke officially doused one fire only to have another lit right under him.

"I can do both!" Naruto insisted.

"Maybe if you started taking speed and we stopped having sex three times a day," Sasuke said backing away slightly in anticipation of Naruto's probable reaction.

"Hell no! I'll never take drugs and if we cut back I'll go through withdrawals! I mean I have needs!"

"So I guess the 'Sanin' reunion will just have to stay a pipe dream." Sasuke said, "I'm sure Tsunade isn't thrilled at the idea of reuniting with her ex-husband either."

"Bastard," Tsunade finished yet another drink in a single swig and pushed a round down to both Sasuke and Naruto.

* * *

><p>It was the night before the band (accompanied by Ino and Sasuke) went on tour and Naruto was too excited to sleep, which meant Sasuke wouldn't be getting any either. The pair lay in bed, still wet from their shower. Sasuke's hair, ungelled and damp stuck to the nape of his neck and Naruto reveled in the rare chance to smell his boyfriend's hair without the cloud of smoke or pounds of product.<p>

"Naruto stop I'm trying to sleep." Sasuke said lackadaisically elbowing the blond away.

"C'mon, baby, I can't sleep. I need to burn off some energy." Naruto said kissing Sasuke's neck.

Sasuke moaned. His dobe knew how to get him in the mood if nothing else. "Naruto," Another breathy moan and all the conviction left Sasuke's voice, "We have to get up early tomorrow. Do have any idea how hard it is to sleep on that bus? We're not going to see another real bed until Seattle."

"We'll be able to sleep on the bus. If you're tired enough you can sleep anywhere." Naruto's hands began to roam Sasuke's body.

"That's your plan then? To get me so tired I can sleep anywhere?"

"By taking any actions necessary."

Sasuke rolled over to face his boyfriend wrapping his thin pale arms around a strong tan neck. Naruto took that as an invitation to kiss Sasuke deeply. "I love you, Sasuke."

"Love you too Dobe," Sasuke tilted his head and returned Naruto's kiss with equal fervor. "If I can't perform tomorrow I'm kicking you ass."

* * *

><p>Roadies walked on and off the stage some carting in amps as others went about setting them up and the only one that seemed even remotely interested in what they were doing was Naruto. His eyes hadn't left the stage since they'd arrived at the venue. He punched the air yelling, "This is so cool! They're setting that stage up for us!"<p>

"Fuck yeah!" Kiba screamed, "We're rock stars now man."

As the novices rushed around backstage Ino and Sasuke sat off to the side, staying out of the way of the roadies and just out of hearing range of their respective partners. "You look really haggard Sasuke," Ino said studying the circles under her friend's eyes.

"Naruto kept me up all night."

Ino nodded in understanding, "I know what you mean. Last time Shika was over he flushed all my Ambien and I haven't slept a wink since." Ino dug around in her purse pulling out what looked like a bottle of aspirin. "Here," She dumped out the contents into her hand.

"What are they?" Sasuke asked already popping one into his mouth.

"Just bennies, they'll give you a little boost before the concert. Don't let Shika know though. I'm trying to keep them incognation."

"Incognito," Sasuke said.

"Yeah, like I said." Ino said, "Here take another one, you look like you need it."

Sasuke grabbed a second ingesting it before Ino had even finished re-closing the bottle.

They heard a sigh and both Sasuke and Ino looked over letting out a sigh of relief themselves to see that it was only Kakashi. "I have half a mind to tell Naruto about this."

"There's no need to do that. You'll just hurt him. It won't change what I just did," Sasuke said.

"Chillax Kakashi, it's just a couple uppers. I always take a few before live performances." Ino said, "And sometimes before interviews."

"I wasn't actually going to tell him. I just wanted to get a rise out of you two, but it didn't work. How boring.

"You know I used to take a lot stronger before going on. It was great while it lasted, but it cost me everything." Kakashi said.

"Is this going to be one of those meaningful talks where you confession your buried sins and I see the error of my ways," Sasuke said. "Because if that's the case I'm going to want another on of those bennies."

"Okay," Ino said digging in her purse once more.

"Yes, it is. Enjoy it and I'll try to keep it short. It really didn't take long for me to become like you two. The pressure really gets to a guy, but right before my addiction started I met someone. He was sweet and caring and I was sure we'd be together a lot longer than we were.

"Right at the height of my band's popularity, his parents died and because he was only seventeen he moved in with me. Well, it's damn hard to keep secrets from someone you're living with and when he said it was him or drugs—well, I made the wrong decision. He moved in with his grandparents and I haven't seen him since. Just don't let that become either of you or you really won't be able to sleep at night."

"Wow, that was a really sad story Kakashi," Ino said absently taking another of her little black pills. "You should try and get it made into a movie or something."

"Ino, you missed the point. Those pills you so casually pop cost me my career, my best friend, and my lover."

"Really?" Ino said, "I got 'em for free."

"Then it's no great loss for you to get rid of them. Shikamaru'll probably just get rid of 'em soon anyway."

"Kakashi, it's not like that between Naruto and I. I'd never put anything before him. It's just a little 'pick me up' before the concert. It's not a habit." Sasuke said unsure if he was assuring Kakashi or himself.

"I didn't think I'd put anything before him either, but when push came to shove I shoved him out the door. What you do from here on doesn't concern me. I just thought you should know that Naruto could leave you if you don't stop. It happens to happier couples than you two."

* * *

><p>'Kiss and Tell' had opened and the crowd was officially warmed up, screaming and throwing panties. Just the kind of crowd Ino was used to. Those out of the loop had noticed the subtle change in Ino's behavior, but had just written it off as nervous energy. She was about to perform at a sold out venue after all.<p>

The girl had bounced on stage with her characteristic energy. Grinding and jumping she'd made her way through only half the set before she passed out, falling backward over an amp and smacking her head on the ground.

It was mere milliseconds before several men from behind scenes and Shikamaru were at Ino's side. Shikamaru began examining the girl's head and ordering people to call an ambulance for the blonde. Ino was carried off stage promptly and in her stead Kakashi appeared to apologize for the interruption and told the crowd Sasuke would be out as soon as possible.

"See?" Naruto said to Sasuke. "That's why you can't take drugs. You'll end up like her and I couldn't handle that."

"Yeah yeah yeah," Sasuke said looking nervous and possibly like he was vibrating, "Can I go on now, Kakashi? Is the sound okay? Do I need a new mic? Come on we can't just let 'em sit there. If the first night goes badly we can kiss the idea of selling out at any other shows goodbye."

"Relax Sasuke, the roadies are fixing the stage so you can go on right now. You'll have to wait. As for the night going badly, I'm not sure it's salvageable at this point. The press'll have a field day." Kakashi mused.

Naruto put his hand on Sasuke's shoulders in an attempt to calm and hold him down. "Baby, you don't look alrig—She gave you those same drugs, didn't she? Oh, I'm gonna kick her ass! Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, great, never better. I only took two or maybe three. I don't know. I feel fine though. Good, really good." Sasuke answered bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Maybe you shouldn't go on." Naruto said, but Kakashi motioned for Sasuke to go on stage and he was ignored.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru hadn't stopped pacing the small hospital room since Ino woke up and she was beginning to wonder which one of them had taken the pills. "Are you really that fucking stupid? I should've known this was going to happen when I first met you. It was so fucking predictable." Shikamaru groaned loudly as if in pain, grasping his head.<p>

"Shika, what're you saying?" Ino asked bracing herself for the worst.

"I really thought I could avoid this if I threw out all your drugs, but maybe you're just too set in your ways. You have been doing this since you were ten." Shikamaru continued to pace.

"Shika are you breaking up with me," Tears welled in Ino's eyes despite her best efforts at composure.

"I don't know. Maybe." Shikamaru finally stopped pacing to look at the girl. "I don't want to, but I can't stay in a relationship where I'm constantly worried about something like this happening again."

Ino began to cry full force, "I'm ruined. This'll be all over the news and then they'll say I'm a bad influence for girls and people's parents won't let them buy my CDs and pretty soon they'll figure out I'm not a virgin, and—" Ino was outright balling, but showed no signs of stopping her rant anytime soon. "And you're going to leave me and then I'll have to go back to dating guys who are just trying to convince people they aren't gay or my douche-bag back-up dancers who just want to bone a rock star. I can't—I just can't," Ino began to breathe erratically and her words faded into shallow, uneven breaths.

"Ino," Shikamaru sighed sitting on the edge of the girl's bed. "You'll be fine. Kakashi's already started a cover-up for you and even if that doesn't work you can re-image yourself. You'll live and you'll be just as well off as you were. Besides, no one thought you were still a virgin and you know if you don't want to date assholes like that then just don't."

This only caused Ino to sob harder, "I'm just a commodity to you now too."

"That's not true, Ino. I really still want to be with you, but I have to be realistic. I don't want to be with a junkie and it was stupid of me to think I could change you."

After several minutes Ino managed to reel back her sobs and look up at Shikamaru, "If you're leaving me just say so Shika."

"I'm really sorry, Ino. I'll still be there for you if you ever need me. Goodbye." With that Shikamaru left.

* * *

><p>Even after the events of the previous venue Ino stayed on. The band had finished with California and were now just outside of Seattle, stretching out in their hotel rooms and taking full advantage of room service.<p>

Naruto and Sasuke had begun to have some rather serious problems since LA. Naruto was beginning to feel he was fighting an uphill battle and for his part Sasuke was finding it more and more difficult to function without the aid of his little round friends. After a particularly bad fight Naruto had gone to Shikamaru and Kiba's room to bitch about his dissolving relationship well Sasuke went to Ino for a fix.

"Ino," Sasuke hesitantly entered the girls open room finding a surprising and disgusting sight, "Ino what the hell are you doing?"

"I'm hungry," Ino said stuffing her face full of pastry, "I haven't had a doughnut in over a decade and why huh? If I gain weight I'm just gonna have it sucked out of me or maybe I'll take laxatives. Who cares right? I'm a pop star that's what I'm supposed to do."

Sasuke walked slowly over to Ino moving the large tray of doughnuts away from her, "Ino…"

"Pills are on the sink, upper, downers, narcotics, diet. They're all there."

"Alright…did you want to…_talk _about something?"

"No," Ino said reaching for the doughnuts which Sasuke kicked farther away on impulse.

_Shit_, Sasuke thought and with a sigh (and the retrieval of two shot glasses and a bottle of Jack) he sat beside his friend prepared to be her shoulder to cry on.

"Shika left me," Ino said taking the offered shot.

"Naruto told me." Sasuke said drinking his own shot.

"He thinks I'm just a druggie. He was the only man to be interested in more than my tits for five years and I'm too big a mess to waste time on."

"I'm sure he didn't put it quite like that," Sasuke said pouring the second round.

"It doesn't change what he meant."

"Naruto's going to leave me too."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Did it?"

"Kind of, yeah."

Kakashi walked into Ino's room. "Ino, what are you doing? This kind of downward spiral ends pop stars like you….Are those doughnuts?"

"I was hungry," Ino said making to pour herself another drink.

There was a pause as Kakashi ran through all possible situations before coming to his conclusion. "So he left you. I told you that this sort of thing happened and you didn't listen." Kakashi sighed. "Are you just planning to get drunk and fat about it?"

Ino nodded, "Want a doughnut?"

Kakashi took a doughnut from the girl not so much because he wanted it as much as it would be one less for the girl to eat. "Ino, this is no time to get depressed. You dated Shikamaru for a month. You'll be able to come back from this I'm sure."

"If you're just going to be a dick then leave," Ino screamed pointing at the door.

"Relax, Ino. I went through this too remember? Of course, I never did make a come back and I lost the love of my life forever, but I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen to you."

Ino nodded and stood up, shoving the bottle of booze away in the process, "Kakashi after this tour I think I want to take some time off. Maybe I'll take a class or something."

Kakashi patted the girl's back. "I'm proud of you, Ino. That's certainly a step in the right direction."

"I'm gonna go take a shower. If you want those pills Sasuke you can have the rest…except the diet pills. I still want those." Ino walked into the bathroom throwing almost all her pill bottles out before shutting the door and starting the shower.

"If I were you, Sasuke, I wouldn't take those pills."

"Why's that?" Sasuke asked as he picked up his spoils.

"Did this fiasco between Ino and Shikamaru teach you nothing? What if Naruto left you the way Shikamaru left Ino?"

Sasuke stopped, falling to the floor and momentarily forgetting about the pills. "I don't think I can stop."

"I always did see a bit of myself in you Sasuke. It's just too bad you can't avoid the same fate."

"Fuck you Kakashi! I'm not going to be some lonely has been! You know what I can stop. I'm gonna stop right now. Here," Sasuke thrust his pile of pills into Kakashi's hand. "Drown your pathetic memories. I'm going back to my room," Sasuke stomped out intent on proving a point, but immediately wishing he'd stashed at least one bottle.

* * *

><p>While Sasuke and Ino resolved to quit drugs, Naruto was in Shikamaru and Kiba's room, drinking beer and bitching about his love life. "I'm just beginning to think he's never gonna change. I love him and I don't wanna leave him, but this isn't working anymore."<p>

Shikamaru just nodded absentmindedly and took a swig of his beer.

"So, Shika as your friend I thought I should let you know now that Ino's available I'm gonna start trying to hit that." Kiba said ignoring Naruto's broken record of lamentation in favor of exposing the elephant in the room.

"You wouldn't dare." Shikamaru growled.

"What about that Hinata chick you were into?" Naruto asked.

"Hinata's the kind of chick you date to marry. Ino's more like a hit and quit girl."

"Kiba, I swear if you so much as look at her I'll kick your ass." Shikamaru glared.

"Hey, if she didn't want me looking she'd start wearing panties."

"Sometimes Kiba you can be such an asshole. She doesn't want another guy like you that's just gonna one night stand her."

"Hey, I came over here to get away from fighting." Naruto said.

"We know," Kiba said. "You're over here everyday. If all you two do is fight why are you still together? There are plenty of stuck up nelly boys in the sea Naruto."

"I know I should've dumped him by now, but I really just can't bring myself to. If I catch him high one more time, it's over. I really mean it this time."

"You might as well just end it now. He's probably gettin' fucked up as we speak," Kiba said.

Naruto sulked for a moment before standing up. "I'm gonna go check on him."

When Naruto got back to his room he was more than a little surprised to see Sasuke simply reading on their bed, twitching a bit, but looking otherwise peaceful.

Naruto let out a sigh of relief and climbed into bed beside his boyfriend. "I half expected you to be running around the room on speed or something."

"Hn." Sasuke snorted not bothering to look up from his book, "I'm not always high. It's not like I need them to function. I just like the boost before a concert."

"Sasuke, you take 'em a lot more than before a concert. Lately, it's hard to see you not completely tweaked out on something."

"Well you don't have to worry about that anymore," Sasuke said slamming his book shut and reaching for the pack of cigarettes by the bed. "Ino quit and I gave her stash to Kakashi."

Naruto grinned at Sasuke. "I'm so proud of you, baby!" He hugged the smaller boy tightly.

"What's to be proud of," Sasuke pushed Naruto away slightly. "It's not like I quit a ten year habit. I just decided the risks outweighed the benefits and it wasn't worth it anymore."

"It must've been really hard for you to hand over a stash like Ino's to Kakashi. I'm really proud of you even if you think it's nothing."

Sasuke sighed and after a moment's debate leaned back into Naruto, "Don't leave me."

"As long as you stay clean, I'm not gonna leave you. Oh, and you have to eat."

"So let's order room service," Sasuke said tucking his head under Naruto's chin. "We haven't had a quiet night together since the tour started."

"Sounds good to me." Naruto kissed Sasuke's head and reached for the phone.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Some of you may remember this fic. It was already up once. I took it down because of a ridiculous flame. So, if you don't like it don't read it. If it isn't a constructive comment, don't leave it. Haters gonna hate. I'm gonna write. I don't own Naruto.

Kakashi watched as Ino and Sasuke dragged themselves around the venue. Clearly they shouldn't have quit cold turkey on the tour, but what was done was done and Naruto certainly seemed happy about it so maybe one relationship had been saved.

"What's wrong with Ino?" Shikamaru asked watching the girl.

"Oh, she quit doing drugs. She gave 'em all to Sasuke who gave 'em to Kakashi." Naruto explained.

Shikamaru just nodded in acknowledgement, his eyes never leaving Ino, watching the girl buzz about, pulling her hair in frustration and finally screaming at a unlucky roadie, "You! What the fuck is this amp doing here? Do you want me to break my neck! Do you!"

The man appeared to mutter something, which lead to another tirade that Shikamaru didn't get to witness as the raised voice of his front man's lover redirected his attention. "Well it's cigarettes or pills. I need something to get me through this tour."

"Sasuke, you don't need either of those things." Naruto said holding Sasuke's cigarettes out of reach.

"It's not a matter of need, but a lack of something better." Sasuke tried to explain, but even to his self that logic was flawed. "If you've got a better way to mellow me out I'd like to hear it."

Naruto paused for a moment trying to think of something better to do for Sasuke, but ultimately drew a blank. As Naruto lost himself in thought, Shikamaru gave Sasuke a cigarette. "Shikamaru!" Naruto screamed. "He can't have that!"

"Sure, he can. It's better than what he was doing and as long as he doesn't have too many his voice'll be fine."

"Gimme one of those," Ino, who had stomped up unnoticed, demanded not bother to wait for a response before wrenching the pack of cigarettes from Shikamaru's grip. "Unbelievable, what do you have to do to find a competent roadie? Sleep with 'em!"

"Ino, I heard you quit. I'm happy for you." Shikamaru said.

"Whatever," Ino said morphing from sober pop star to woman scorned.

"Well, congratulations." Shikamaru said.

"'Kiss and Tell'," Kakashi said walking up to the band. "You should get to practicing." The band's only response was to walk to the stage to begin their practice.

"Ino," Sasuke said turning to his equally high-strung friend. "Do you still have those diet pills?"

Ino pulled a tiny perfume vile out of her pocket, "Just one, okay. We'll each take just one."

"Right," Sasuke nodded, "just one."

Just as Sasuke and Ino were going to take their respective pills a loud yell of, "Sasuke! What the fuck?" cut them off.

Sasuke was frozen. He didn't know what to say or rather he did, but when he went to say it the words sounded wrong. Thankfully, Ino suffered no such problem (probably ever), "Shut it Uzumaki."

"Fuck off, Ino. This has nothing to do with you." Naruto growled at the girl. "Sasuke, I thought you were quitting! I trusted you!"

"It's just one," Sasuke's words were hollow, insubstantial enough that Sasuke thought they might wilt before they ever reached Naruto's ears.

"You're gonna be saying that for the rest of your life, aren't you? 'It's just one' or 'it's just to get me ready for a show'! I don't want to hear it anymore!"

"So what do you want?" Sasuke asked.

"I want my lover to be healthy! I want to be able to believe everything he says! I want to be able to leave him alone at a party without worrying! And if you can't give me all that then maybe you and I aren't meant to be together, Sasuke."

"Are you leaving me?" Sasuke unbelievably sounded incredulous at the thought.

"I told you a million times it's me or drugs. You can't have both and you've made it pretty obvious which one you'd rather have." Naruto grabbed the cigarettes out of Ino's hand that he'd originally come to retrieve before stomping off.

Sasuke felt his chest tighten as when he would cry as a child but his eyes stayed dry, "How much for that bottle Ino?"

"Here," Ino threw him the bottle. "I suddenly don't want them."

No sooner had Sasuke caught the bottle than six pills were down his throat.

* * *

><p>The tour spiraled quickly down hill after that. That is to say that while the performances went off without a hitch the bus was so tense even the bodyguards were uncomfortable. With Ino still lamenting over Shikamaru and as a result eating very little and exercising to the point of oblivion and Sasuke popping pills like mints the atmosphere in any place the group was collectively became unbearable for any bystanders.<p>

Currently the band and two solo acts were checking into their hotel and divvying up rooms (a problem that had yet to be resolved since Naruto and Sasuke's break-up) and it seemed as if the thin thread holding together their collective sanity had finally snapped.

"Why don't you two just share a room?" Naruto glared at Ino and Sasuke. "Then you won't have to walk all the way to her room to get your fix."

"Ino quit. She doesn't have pills anymore." Shikamaru said.

"No, she didn't! She kept some! I saw her take one with Sasuke the other day!" Naruto yelled.

"What?" Shikamaru's eyes widened slightly, showing far more emotion than the boy usually did.

"She's just like Sasuke. They'll never change."

"Are you done?" Sasuke said.

"Naruto we've been over this before," Sakura said trying to maintain neutrality. "If Ino and Sasuke share a room that means I'll have to share a room with one of you."

"This is ridiculous." Kakashi said. "Sakura and Ino will share a room. Shikamaru and Sasuke can share a room, which leaves Kiba and Naruto a room."

"What about you?" Sasuke asked, "Why don't you and Naruto share a room and I'll get the single?"

"What if I want the single?" Ino said crossly.

"You have to room with Sakura." Sasuke answered.

Ino turned to glare at the girl, "You'd better not snore forehead."

"No, I'm getting a single because I'm sick of dealing with you six. I have half a mind to put you all in a room together until you've worked out your differences, but we've already paid for four rooms."

"I want my own room," Sasuke said resolved, "and you're going to give it to me because Tsunade is going to tell you to."

"Sasuke, you need to get over yourself. Ever since Naruto dumped you, you've let yourself go to hell in a hand basket and you really couldn't be any bitchier. If you weren't performing well, Tsunade would've kicked your ass off the label by now."

Sasuke laughed bitterly, "The hell she would. You think you'd have any kind of tour without me. I'm bringing more money to your label than you've grossed your entire life."

"Maybe right now, but the way you're going it won't be long before you're passing out during concerts and not writing new songs. We've seen it happen before. Then the only thing you'll be known as is 'the druggie that used to be an actor or something'."

"Don't project your failure on me Kakashi!" Sasuke screamed, "My 'problem' has afforded me the energy to write two new songs since we've been on tour. I'm not you. I'll see it to the end like Kurt Cobian or Jimi Henedrix."

"Here's an update on those two men for you, they died young."

"Young, successful and good-looking." Sasuke added, "Better than some washed up, melancholic punk singer trying to hand out wisdom like he's fucking Dr. Phil!"

"Shut up," Ino screamed smashing her fist into the wall with a surprising amount of strength for someone who in these past weeks had probably dwindled down to no more than eighty pounds. "I'm not a has been! I'm not gonna end up some desperate center fold like Debbie Gibson! I'm not fat damn it!"

"How can you be fat when you don't eat?" Shikamaru glared at the girl. "You're skin and bone. There's no way that's healthy and you don't even care that you're going to die if you keep this up."

"Shut up Shika," Ino screamed, "You didn't want me as your problem anymore and now I'm not so keep it to yourself!"

"Can we just sleep?" Shikamaru asked. "Fighting all the time is exhausting. Kakashi be the bigger person here and give him the single so we can all get some sleep."

"Fine. We'll likely be a man down by the end of this anyway then we won't have to have these nightly fights." Kakashi said.

"Fuck you Kakashi," Sasuke hissed stomping off to his room despite not having the key.

"S-Sakura," the group turned to see Ino heavily leaning on the wall, "Could you give me a hand. I'm feeling a little dizzy."

"Ino, maybe you should see a doctor." Sakura said concerned.

"Or eat." Shikamaru added.

"No, no it's okay. I just need to lye down." Ino said grabbing Sakura's offered shoulder. "Maybe I'll have room service bring up a cup of coffee later," The girl thought aloud abstractedly as she was, for the most part, dragged to her room.

When the pair were out of sight Kiba turned to Kakashi, "Which one do you think is gonna croak first? My money's on Ino, she's got a head start, but Uchiha was always quick on picking things up."

"How can you bet on this?" Naruto yelled at them. "Sasuke might die and you're just…ugh! I can't deal with this!" Naruto ran off.

"Naruto won't be able to function if Sasuke dies." Shikamaru pointed out. "You better hope he doesn't unless you want him crying all the time."

"So what're we supposed to do?" Kiba said sounding as exasperated as anyone with the situation, "I'm gonna make Uchiha pull it together? He's fucked up and your girlfriend is too. She's so skinny she's not even hot anymore. She needs a damn burger and Princess Sasuke needs to be smacked senseless, but since that doesn't seem to be in our future I guess I'll just have to deal with it my way."

"What's your way?" Kakashi asked.

"Turn it into a joke, so who's going first?"

"You can't make this funny." Shikamaru said.

"Why not? Every TV personality from Chelsea Handler to Al Rooker's going to." Kiba said.

Shikamaru sighed and made to leave. "I'm going to bed."

Kakashi turned to Kiba, "Switch rooms with me. I can't stand sharing with Naruto since he dumped Sasuke. He doesn't sleep anymore. He just rolls around and sometimes I think he cries."

"Yeah alright, he's my best friend so I guess I have some kind of moral obligation, but just so you know Shika's not much better. I mean he doesn't cry or anything, but it's all cold poorly disguised anger."

"Great, I've got to deal with a junkie, an anorexic, an insomniac, and an emotional stunted bassist. Thank god for you and Sakura or everyone on this tour would be royally fucked."

* * *

><p>The tour's current stop was Konoha, a stop Naruto had made them put on the tour. Usually, Naruto would've been ecstatic. He should've been scanning the audience for people he knew, but Naruto did no such thing. He hadn't slept a wink since breaking up with Sasuke and at first it hadn't effected him at all, but now he was forgetting song lyrics he had known like the back of his hand. The only good thing about the tour stopping in Konoha was that he was finally going to get to see Iruka and Konohamaru (who he'd already sent back stage passes to) again.<p>

"Damn Naruto," Konohamaru said looking around. "This isn't nearly as cool as I thought it would be. Where're all the groupies and the champagne?"

Naruto laughed half-heartedly. "Even if there were groupies here they'd be here for me and you can't drink yet anyways."

"They don't care. These people are from LA. They all got out of rehab at fifteen." Konohamaru said.

"Konohamaru," Iruka scolded, "Leave your brother alone. The tour has clearly taken a toll on him." Iruka turned to his eldest foster child, "You look horrible Naruto. Are you eating properly? Look at those bags under your eyes, have you slept at all since you moved to LA?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay. I just can't sleep while I'm on tour." Naruto rubbed at his eyes as if it would make the bags disappear.

"Naruto, if you want make-up to get rid of those bags—Iruka? What are you doing here?" Kakashi asked his visible eye showing his disbelief.

"You know my dad, Kakashi?" Naruto asked.

"Your dad? You adopted?"

"I did," Iruka said, sternly his brow furrowed with repressed hurt and joy simultaneously. "How have you been Kakashi? You look well."

"I'm living very comfortably now. I quit everything I was doing and I'm a manager. It's nice to see you again, Iruka. How have you been?"

"Well after I pulled my life back together, moved away from all the people you owed money to, got your dealers and girlfriends off my speed dial and managed to trust another person again I got married and adopted."

"Iruka, you can't imagine how sorry I am that you had to go through all that because of me. I know that I can never really make it up to you, but I'm glad that you got to have the family you always wanted."

"I didn't get the family I always wanted Kakashi. The family I wanted was with you, but you were too preoccupied with getting stoned and laid to have any real intentions for our future so I had to settle."

"I wanted to find you again after I got clean, but you left without telling me where you were going. I've always regretted what happened."

"…Dude, Kakashi, did you used to date my dad?" Naruto asked.

"Shouldn't you be going to make-up? If you go on with those bags the press will have a field day." Kakashi said.

"No way. If Iruka needs me I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm fine Naruto you just—," Iruka was cut short by an all too familiar sight (although far gayer and with more eyeliner).

"Kakashi! Where are my fucking cigarettes?" Sasuke screamed sounding less intimidating, as his voice was uneven and seemed to be fading along with the rest of him.

"You can't have another cigarette before you go on or your voice will sound awful. I'll give them back to you after the show." Kakashi said.

"Keep 'em," Sasuke muttered, taking another gulp from his 'water' bottle. "I'll get one from a roadie."

Naruto looked away from Sasuke as if the sight of him hurt to see. "I'm gonna go to make-up. I'll see you after the show Iruka." With that Naruto made to leave.

"Sasuke looks awful," Iruka said watching the ex-lovers walk off in separate directions. "Your influence?"

"No. He was already started with drugs before he signed on with us. Naruto fought him tooth and nail about quitting and in the end they broke up. That's why Naruto hasn't slept."

"Sounds familiar," Iruka said coldly.

"Iruka, I've changed for the better. I know that isn't enough to make up for what I did to you, but it's true, but Sasuke…I'm beginning to doubt that he will change before it's too late."

"I've never particularly liked Sasuke, but Naruto's been crazy about him for years and I hate to see him suffer like this.

"I'll tell you what Kakashi, you get that brat into rehab by the end of the year and I'll give you my address."

Kakashi resisted the urge to tell Iruka that he could just trick Naruto into giving it to him and instead said, "Sasuke's a hard case. If you give me a date, I'll do it."

"I'll give you a date when he's clean or Naruto's found someone better."

"Fair enough. I was going to have to do something about this eventually anyway. My three most popular bands are running themselves into a hole."

"Hey I hate to break-up the reunion and all, but I came here to get Ino Yamanaka to sign my dick so if someone could make that happen…." Konohamaru brought the attention back to him where he felt it belonged.

"Konohamaru," Iruka reprimanded.

"I don't think Ino is as hot as you think she is anymore. She's going through a break-up right now and apparently her way of handling it is anorexia."

"That's a serious problem," Iruka said. "You ought to call off this tour. These kids are barely out of high school and they're on a fast track to the list of stars that died too young. Do you really think you can handle another incident like Obito's?"

Kakashi sighed. "That was horrible, but if I stop this tour now I'm not going to be able to get Sasuke and Naruto in the same room again and if Sasuke has no hope of getting Naruto back then I'm afraid he'll never see a reason to get clean."

Iruka opened his mouth to speak, but before he could form a word Ino came rushing up, "Kakashi my stage costume won't fit."

"Ino, nothing will fit you anymore. You need to put on weight." Kakashi said.

"Holy shit! What happened to you? You used to be hot," Konohamaru exclaimed looking disgusted at the girl's new figure.

"I know! I'm fat!" Ino said tears forming immediately in her eyes, "You let out my costume didn't you? You saw how fast I was blowing up and—"

"Ino, you aren't attractive to him because you're too skinny." Shikamaru said appearing next to Kakashi. "Everyone can see every bone in your body, it's disgusting."

"Shut up Shika, don't try to fatten me up just 'cause you dumped me." Ino said still crying.

"Dude you're whiny and not hot," Konohamaru said, "I d—"

"Enough!" Iruka said giving the boy a tap on the head, "She has body dimorphic disorder. It's a serious problem honey and you need to respect her issues."

"Whatever," Konohamaru murmured, but kept the rest of his thoughts to himself.

"Are you kidding me?" Shikamaru glared. "I want you to eat because you need to, but instead you're fucking killing yourself."

"Kakashi what're you gonna do about my costume." Ino said choosing to ignore Shikamaru.

"Ino, there's nothing I can do at this point. Just put a short dress on."

"Fine," Ino said walking off murmuring about cellulite and fat people who 'just don't understand'.

Shikamaru punched the closet wall so hard his hand began to swell. "She's so fucking stupid."

"Shikamaru, go put that on ice. You have to go on soon." Kakashi said.

Shikamaru nodded and walked off.

Kakashi sighed. "Those four are a mess. Maybe I should call this tour off. After all, it's only a matter of time before Naruto, Sasuke, and Ino can't perform and if one more person passes out on stage it'll encourage the rumors."

"If you call it off you'll have rumors too. In fact at this point you must already. It's obvious to everyone at these concerts that Sasuke and Ino have lost weight. At very least there'll be talk about eating disorders." Iruka said, "Rumors shouldn't be your biggest concern any—"

"Five minutes to curtain Kakashi." A stage hand says, "You wanna find your bassist and front man."

Kakashi nodded. "Iruka, I'm not convinced that canceling this tour will do anything for these kids' health, but after this show I'm going to announce that this tour is off. If you'll excuse me, I have to find Naruto and Shikamaru."

* * *

><p>"You're calling off the tour!" Sasuke and Ino screamed in unison said equal parts angry and relieved.<p>

"Yes, I am and for good reason. Sasuke, have you looked in the mirror. People that don't already suspect you of being on drugs think you have an eating disorder and Ino, you just have an eating disorder and Naruto hasn't slept in weeks. You all need to take this time off to relax, go to rehab, or therapy." Kakashi said.

"Che. I'll sleep when I'm dead." Sasuke said, "Just because you ruined your career don't ruin mine."

"You're a real dick lately Uchiha," Kiba said. "More than usual, I'm glad we're calling this off so I don't have to put up with your stuck up ass anymore."

"Enough. Believe it or not, I have talked to Tsunade about this and she agrees with my decision. You're all running yourselves into the ground." Kakashi turned to Sasuke and Ino. "I'm done trying to make you two see what you could have if you were healthy so shut up, Sasuke."

"You mean what you have?" Sasuke said, "A sexless career as a has been loser."

Kakashi backhanded Sasuke. "That's enough. At first I wanted Naruto to take you back, but I don't want anyone to be put through the hell of dating you."

"Hey, Kakashi! You can't slap him!" Naruto yelled.

"Someone needed to," Shikamaru said.

"You'd better hope that doesn't bruise," Sasuke growled. "And consider yourself fired. As soon as we return to LA I'm under new management." Sasuke stomped off to his hotel room leaving a furious Kakashi in his wake.

"Do you really think I have a problem?" Ino asked looking as if she may cry again.

"I'm sorry, Ino, but it's just like Shikamaru has been trying to tell you. You have an eating disorder. You have to get help." Kakashi said.

Ino nodded, "Maybe I'll check into the hospital when we get back. I need a break."

"Finally," Shikamaru said looking relieve despite his best efforts to remain indifferent.

"That's a good idea, Ino." Kakashi said.

"Yeah well my hair's started falling out and I've got this weird white hair everywhere so…"

"Yeah, you need to go to a hospital." Kakashi turned to Naruto. "And you need to go see a doctor about a prescription for sleeping pills and get over Sasuke."

"I don't think I can," Naruto frowned.

* * *

><p>The band had gone back to LA and as soon as they arrived, Sasuke found himself a new manager and Ino checked into a hospital. With Ino being taken care of, Shikamaru was much more relaxed and returned to his indifferent ways despite the lonely feeling the girl's absence had brought.<p>

While Shikamaru and Ino were doing much better, Naruto had moved out of Sasuke's apartment and back into his band's apartment although he quickly moved into a small house he'd bought, but he quickly regretted that. Coming home to an empty house every night only seemed to remind him that Sasuke should've been there, but Sasuke wasn't the same anymore and it made Naruto's heart sink.

Though the band was still doing very well, Kakashi's date with Iruka was in jeopardy. Without any communication and no sign that Sasuke was going to realize he needed rehab, Kakashi decided that it was time for Naruto to go to more parties to meet new people and ultimately replace Sasuke.

"Look at these fucking chicks," Kiba said looking around the exclusive club, eyes wide and mouth agape. "I'm gonna go ask the DJ to play our single. That'll get me so much ass."

"Kiba," Sakura said, "These girls date guys better looking and more established than you all the time. No one's gonna want a mediocre looking, star struck drummer."

"Sakura, they don't care how well established he is. He could tell 'em he's a rock star and he'll get more ass than he can handle." Shikamaru said.

Naruto whined, "Why does Kakashi keep sending us to these parties? No one really important is here! I wanna go home."

"Naruto, you're the front man for a popular band so this whiny, lame streak is making us all look bad. Go out and get some." Shikamaru said.

Any response Naruto might have had was cut of by sudden burst of cheering (amazingly louder than the music). "What's all that about?" Sakura asked already making her way over the screaming circle followed by the rest of her band.

Naruto's eyes widened as he saw Sasuke dancing like a stripper on the bar and he quickly pulled him down. "What the hell are you doing, Sasuke?"

"What the fuck dobe?" Sasuke said tripping over his feet despite the human balance.

"Sasuke, you don't even realize how stupid you look, do you? Please, Sasuke, go to rehab! You made your aunt cry did you know that? You don't even realize how much you're hurting the people around you!"

"So I should go to rehab to make my aunt happy?" Sasuke said leaning even more heavily against Naruto looking pale even for him. "What has this got to do with you anyway?"

"You should go because you look like shit! I hate seeing you like this!"

"So don't look," The edge in Sasuke's voice was completely gone along with most of the volume.

"Sasuke, you don't get it!" Naruto screamed at the boy. "Look at yourself! You're gonna die at this rate!"

"Naruto," Sasuke lulled and with a spurt of brightness from the strobe light Naruto noticed his lips were blue. "I'm fine it's just a couple pills, and that coke….and a few CCs of dope tonight.

"I feel cold."

Naruto took his jacket off and put it around Sasuke. "C'mon, I'm taking you to a doctor. You look like a corpse."

"I'm fine," Sasuke said making a pathetic attempt at pushing Naruto away.

"No, you're not! Please, Sasuke, if you still love me even a little, you'll go to rehab." Naruto pleaded looking as desperate as he felt.

"That's unfair," Sasuke mumbled appearing as if he were falling asleep.

Naruto shook the boy. "Is that a yes or a no?"

"And what if I go? What then?"

"Then you'll be healthy and if it's any motivation, I'll give you another chance."

Nobody knew how to stick their foot in their mouth quite like Naruto. "Give me another chance? Oh wow, thank you so much oh generous one. There's nothing I'd want more than for someone to give my a pity fuck when I could have half the free world at my disposal."

"Okay, I get it! You don't want me back!" Naruto pushed the Uchiha away and was out the bar doors before Sasuke could blink.

"Asshole," Sasuke screamed after the swinging door, falling to the floor moments later.

* * *

><p>"A couple reunited," The E! announcer said, "Orochimaru Sanin and ex-boyfriend Sasuke Uchiha were seen looking cozy last week at an LA night club. Neither party has confirmed a romantic relationship, but in an interview with <em>Rolling Stone <em>magazine Orochimaru was quoted as saying 'Sasuke and I have recently been able to establish a friendship and he will always mean a lot to me.'

"The couple may be on friendly terms, but right now any romantic involvement is only speculation."

Kakashi turned off the TV turning to look at the band save Naruto who'd taken time off. "So there's no way we're getting him into rehab, is there? If Naruto wasn't able to do it, I don't think anyone can."

"Not our problem anymore," Kiba said.

"How could you say that," Sakura said sounding applauded. "Sasuke is still our friend and he needs us right now."

"He's not my friend and he never was," Kiba said matter-of-factly. "The only reason I ever put up with him was for Naruto and now that that's over I don't see why we should bother."

"Listen, I don't care about Sasuke." Kakashi said. "But this is effecting Naruto's work and if he doesn't get over that stuck up son of a bitch I won't get my date with Iruka, so we need to get Naruto over this bitch."

"You two are horrible!" Sakura screamed, "I'll admit Sasuke hasn't been the most pleasant person to be around, but that doesn't make him a bitch. He needs our help as his friends and not the preaching or commanding of someone with their own agenda."

"Sakura, he is a bitch and after the last time Sasuke saw Naruto, I don't think even Naruto wants to see him anymore." Shikamaru said.

"Well I think you're wrong!" Sakura protested slamming her fists down on the table before her, "Sasuke has a problem and he isn't himself right now. He needs us just like Ino did and I notice you've conveniently ignored what a bitch she was when she stopped taking her diet pills."

"Ino was a bitch because she was quitting taking pills, Sasuke's a bitch because he's taking more of them. There isn't any hope for him." Shikamaru said.

"That's harsh," Sakura said. "And inaccurate, Ino wasn't a bitch because she was getting better she was a bitch because she was eating two hundred calories a day."

"And she's getting help for that too. Ino realized she had a problem and she's turning herself around."

"She's had a problem since she was twelve Shikamaru. I don't think it's fair of you to act like she started doing drugs, had an epiphany and instantly turned around."

"She at least listened to us when we told her she had an eating disorder and she quit doing drugs almost completely on her own. That couldn't have been very easy."

"Shikamaru you know as well as I do that she fought you tooth and nail about having an eating disorder and it's a hell of a lot easier to quit drugs when you're drunk all the time, which we all know she only stopped after she found out it depressed her metabolism. She traded one sickness for another. That's not improvement. That's substitution."

"Well, Sasuke's drunk all day and he still can't quit and let's be honest he isn't eating. He'll be dead before we could help him anyway."

Sakura stood up and charged for the door stopping only for a moment to say, "You're cold Shikamaru. I certainly hope that Ino never has a relapse because the second she stops being perfect you'll write her off as dead." The pink haired girl slammed the door behind her leaving the three men by themselves without enough musicians to practice.

* * *

><p>Naruto, tired of being alone, decided to make his way to <em>Slug<em> where at the very least there'd be beer and music. It was there that he ran into Tsunade. "Hey, Grandma. Sasuke still come to see ya?" Naruto asked putting on a cheerful face for the public.

"Sit down brat," Tsunade said patting the stool next to hers. "First one's on the house."

"Yeah? Thanks." Naruto said taking a seat next to her. "So, what's up? You kicking me off the label?"

"Don't be stupid brat. If I was gonna kick anyone off the label it'd be Uchiha, but the little prick's still making and selling records."

"Yeah, well, he's gotta do something with all that energy from the shit he's on." Naruto's face dropped and he decided a change of topic was necessary. "So, Jiraiya ever come in here? It'd be pretty sweet to meet him."

"He comes around sometimes. If we meet up it's usually in private."

"Lame! You should introduce me to him, Grandma."

"You can meet the whole band tomorrow. We finally got Orochimaru to agree to that reunion. We're meeting up in my office for lunch."

Naruto frowned and shook his head. "I'm not interested. Orochimaru can go to hell and he'll bring Sasuke."

Tsunade shook her head, "I doubt it. Lunch is usually when Sasuke goes and fools around with one of his other boyfriends."

"He wasn't like this before he got into drugs. I used to think he'd pick me over anything, but he loves his damn drugs more. Now, he's acting like a slut. He used to think people that cheated were disgusting, but he's got more than Orochimaru. Now, I'm the one that looks pathetic 'cause I can't get the hell over him and move on." Naruto took a swig of his beer. "Now, I know why you became an alcoholic. This city sucks."

"The pressure gets the best of even the best of people," Tsunade said pushing aside her glass. "He's not all bad you know. Sometimes they end up like that Suigetsu kid, no shame, no attachments, but Sasuke, he still talks about you. He's still too embarrassed to answer his family's phone calls.

"Maybe I just don't want to see another one, but I think there's still some of the Sasuke you knew and loved in there."

"Yeah, well, he sure as hell does a good job hiding it. Who do you think takes his family's calls, me. They think I can get him in rehab, but I've been trying since day one and it just isn't working. Meanwhile, Iruka's telling me that he went through the same thing and I need to just get over Sasuke and find someone better. And I wanna help Sasuke because I still love him and I wanna believe he still loves me, but I wanna just do what Iruka wants 'cause it's easy and it hurts to see Sasuke because every time I do it seems like he says something that hurts me and he looks like shit." Naruto was fighting back tears. "I wish neither of us had ever become famous."

Tsunade rubbed Naruto's back reassuringly, "You can't help who you love kid. No one knows that better than me, but what you have to decide is if the effort you put into it is more than the happiness being with that person will bring you.

"I've been around long enough to know kids like Sasuke have one of two paths: hit rock bottom and grow up or die. And we're not in control of which happens first."

"To be honest, I know I'll never really quit on Sasuke, even if I start dating someone else. I just needed sometime to get over it a little.

"But how hasn't he hit rock bottom? I mean look at him. He's sleeping with four guys and he looks like shit."

Tsunade shrugged, "Getting arrested usually does the trick. If not you'd better just give up because they're in it for the long haul."

"Alright then, I'm gonna get Sasuke arrested. Shouldn't be too hard, I mean there was a time when all we did was fight so if I can't bust him for having drugs I'll get him to hit me and call it assault. Thanks, Grandma."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **There was like an insanely long sort of epilouge for this, but I decided against posting it. I think this should be enough. Enjoy. Comment, if you have the time.

"Sasuke Uchiha was caught passed out behind the wheel of Suigetsu Hoozuki's car." The snarky blonde comedienne said, a picture blown up on the TV behind her of a passed out and obviously inebriated Sasuke. "Apparently to DD for Suigetsu you only need to be sober enough to find the car."

Naruto blinked at the television screen. "That was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be."

"What are you talking about?" Shikamaru asked.

"Well, Grandma told me that if Sasuke got arrested he might finally realize he's hit rock bottom and try to climb his way out so I was gonna get him arrested somehow, but I guess it was only a matter of time." Naruto explained.

"When the cops searched him they found an empty baggie of coke and enough pills to start a nursing home, which is better than what they got Suigetsu with, a morphine drip." There was laughter from the TV audience before the camera panned to thin, tan brunette women Naruto recognized from a reality show.

"Where did he fit all the drugs is what I want to know?" The brunette said, "I mean the boy's like eighty pounds with skin tight leather pants. He couldn't hide a penny in those pockets."

"Well," A young blonde man Naruto knew as the man who usually did the E! news said, "I don't know if any of you follow this, but they're actually _not _charging him."

"Wow those are some lawyers," The blonde comedienne, who seemed to be the host, said.

"Damn it," Naruto yelled. "Guess I still gotta get his ass arrested. I guess I should go look for him at the bars and night clubs."

"You should try Skid Row." Shikamaru suggested.

"Ha, ha, ha. Your girlfriend wasn't much better, Shika." Naruto reminded him.

"Yeah, but she's in a hospital right now." Shikamaru sighed meloncholically, "I haven't seen her since the tour. I hope she's doing well."

* * *

><p>It was pure luck when Naruto actually did find Sasuke in a nightclub doing things that should easily have had him arrested without Naruto's help, but if he didn't verse Naruto in court he'd just get off again. "Well, if it isn't Ms. I'm-too-good-for-everyone-but-I'll-sleep-with-anyone."<p>

"Hn." Sasuke sniffled rubbing the blood from under his nose. "I'd be more offended if your barb throwing skills weren't that of a ten year old."

"I'd be more insulted if you weren't the same weight as a ten year old."

"You've made your opinion of me clear enough."

"Yeah, but actually I just wanted to thank you for not taking me back. All these years I was with you I wasn't paying attention to someone that really gets me, Gaara. He understands me a lot more, we never fight, and I mean with you _it_ wasn't very good, but Gaara is amazing."

Sasuke screeched in fury before throwing all hundred and twenty pounds of his withering body onto Naruto. "Fuck you dobe," Sasuke said throwing weak and erratic punches, "What are you even talking to me for if I repulse you so much? You're so fucking in love than it's a goddamn blessing I'm a junkie isn't it. Maybe you can get married at my funeral!" Sasuke wailed on Naruto with all the strength his weakened arms could manage until security finally pulled him off, the large men dumping both boys outside.

Naruto rubbed where Sasuke had hit him. The punches themselves hadn't really hurt but some of Sasuke's rings had cut up Naruto's face. "Sasuke, how could you think you repulse me? I spent the last three nights looking fo—Fuck. I mean Gaara and I will definitely let you be the godfather of the kid we're planning to adopt. After we get married of course. I think you would be a great wedding planner."

"Just shut up," Sasuke hissed flipping open his phone. "Orochimaru's still in there and he's my ride home."

"Yeah, well, you're not going anywhere. Sakura was in there and the second you started hitting me she called the police." As if on cue, Sasuke heard the sirens.

Sasuke laughed like a mad man, "You're pressing assault charges on me. I'm half your size. What fucking judge would actually rule in your favor?"

"The one that sees these nice scratches and hears from those security guards. I hate to do this to you, Sasuke, but someone told me if you realized you hit rock bottom you'd stop and I mean look at us. You haven't hit me since sixth grade and ever since tenth I didn't think there was anything that could come between us, but I always knew if anything ever did I'd do everything I could to get rid of it. That court'll make you go to rehab and then I can finally sleep at night knowing you'll be okay."

"The court's not going to send me to rehab for an assault charge idiot," Sasuke snorted lighting up a cigarette. "They'll probably give me probation."

"Damn it!" Naruto punched a wall. "This whole plan fell through!" The police came into the alley, but before they could even touch Sasuke Naruto said. "Forget it, I'm not pressing charges. He's free to go back to his fucking pervert boyfriend." The police just left murmuring about stupid celebrity fights.

"You engineered this entire plan to get me to rehab?" Sasuke said in both awe and confusion. "Why would you bother with all that? Wouldn't it be easier to just find a new boyfriend?"

"You bet your ass it'd be easier, but the Sasuke I want is you when you're sober and happy so I'm gonna get your ass to rehab or die trying. I don't give up, teme. You know that."

"What if I'm not the same after rehab," Sasuke suggested. "What if I find Jesus and become an evangelic Christian with a book and a TV show like Tammy Lee."

"Then, I'll go on your show whenever you want. Anything is better than this and if I'm still in love with you right now then I'll still love you when you're a crazy bible thumper."

"Alright," Sasuke said.

"Alright? That's it? You'll go to rehab? Yes, teme, you won't regret it! I'll fly your family in to visit you while you're in there and everything!"

"Just so you know I would've won that law suit."

"Who cares as long as you're going to rehab and my sexy face heals the same?" Naruto hugged the boy. "I'll pay for your rehab and everything."

"I'm not really an addict you know." Sasuke said allowing himself to be hugged, "I stop every once in awhile just to prove I can."

"You sure as hell seem addicted to me."

"I quit while we were together." Sasuke said, "It's not like I need it _all _the time. Just every now and then."

"You and Ino took pills like candy while we were together. You can't say you're going to rehab and then back out. Today, you had blood under your nose, and the car with Suigetsu the whole baggy was gone, and then there was the last time I saw you and I cried for you damn it! How can you not be addicted?"

Sasuke had the decency to look guilty, "You cried?"

"That isn't as important as the rest of that statement. You always seemed high. Last time you were a fucking corpse and told me you'd taken dope and pills."

"My aunt cried too," Sasuke said seeming to be in his own little world until Orochimaru flew out the door to the club looking pissed.

"Sasuke what were you thinking!" He demanded jerking Sasuke by the arm almost hard enough to dislocate it.

"Hey, let him go!" Naruto demanded.

"This is none of your business," Orochimaru said dragging a squirming and indignant Sasuke toward the car.

Naruto punched Orochimaru right in the face. "I said let him go! He doesn't wanna go with you!"

"Naruto," Sasuke screamed completely frozen in his place. "Are you insane?"

"I hope you've got a good attorney," Orochimaru said rubbing his quickly bruising cheek.

"He was taking you when you didn't want to be taken, teme! Was I just supposed to sit back and let him?" Naruto protested.

"C'mon Sasuke," Orochimaru said grabbing Sasuke by the elbow.

Sasuke nodded his eyes looking pensive, "Naruto…I'll call you tomorrow."

Naruto just glared at Orochimaru and stomped off.

* * *

><p>Naruto was both amazed and thrilled when Sasuke actually did call him the next day. He was so amazed actually he almost ended up missing the call from staring at his phone in awe.<p>

"Teme? What's up?"

"He wants to press assault charges on you," Sasuke said sounding both tired and sick. "He wants me to testify against you."

"Ugh, he's such a douche! I talked to Kakashi about that already. He's gonna talk to Tsunade. Sasuke, are you okay? Are you gonna leave that dick?"

"I don't know. I was, but that was before I had to talk him out of pressing charges."

"Don't bother. I can take his ass in court. It's not like he wasn't trying to make you do something you didn't wanna do. Just leave him, teme."

"And if I do? What does that mean?" Sasuke said packing much more meaning in his words than Naruto would have thought possible.

"That means you won't be dating a complete asshole and you can date someone that really cares about you like me."

"You want me back?" Sasuke asked sounding hesitant and surprised.

"I only ever broke up with you because you were on drugs and I couldn't stand seeing you like that, but if you think you can quit then I want you back."

Sasuke sighed, "I can't remember the last time I stopped Naruto. I used to stop every two weeks, just for a week or a couple days or something, but I don't know how long it's been since I've done that."

"It's not like I won't help you and even we can't get you clean then you can always go to rehab."

"Why would you want to help me?" Sasuke asked and Naruto noticed the shaking of voice.

"Teme, all those times I told you I love you, it didn't mean I only loved you when you were doing well. I love you all the time so when you're going through a hard time I'm gonna be there to help you."

"I don't want to go to rehab," Sasuke said. "I want to move back in with you."

"Then move back in with me. I miss having you around."

"Okay," Sasuke said. Naruto could hear the smile in his voice.

* * *

><p>The band sat in the conference room with Kakashi and Tsunade to discuss Orochimaru's lawsuit with Naruto. "So…am I gonna go to jail?" Naruto asked.<p>

"Of course not," Tsunade laughed pouring herself a glass of sake "one punch is hardly felony assault, but we may have to shell out some settlement money. That all depends on Uchiha's testimony of course."

"I don't think he's gonna testify against me." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I mean it'd be pretty awkward when he moved back in with me if he did."

"He's moving in with you?" Tsunade actually stopped her drinking to stare in disbelief at Naruto, "Are you sure that's what you want?"

"He's gonna quit, Grandma. He promised me if he couldn't quit on his own, he'd go to rehab." Naruto said.

"I'd just send him to rehab at this point, Naruto." Kakashi said. "There's no way he can quit on his own."

"Well, we're gonna try."

"He should at least go to detox." Tsundae said, "There's no way he can handle those withdrawals on his own."

"I'll talk with him about it." Naruto said. "Maybe he will go to detox."

* * *

><p>"No," said Sasuke said throwing down the box he'd been carrying onto his new living room floor. "I don't want to go to one of those places. I want to keep working and I want to be here with you."<p>

"I wanna stay with you too, but you're probably gonna have some hardcore withdrawals."

"I will not," Sasuke growled. "You make it sound like I'm Keith Richards. I haven't got too much of a monster habit."

"What do you think will happen when you're withdrawaling? I wanna know what to expect."

"Nothing!" Sasuke screamed, but Naruto could tell a life without drugs was starting to take a toll on him. "I might get a stomach ache, but I was hardly enough of a fiend to get really sick."

Naruto looked skeptically. "Right, well, I've already emptied all my cabinets of any medication so I think we can handle this."

Sasuke nodded, "I'm gonna lye down." A sheen of sweat was already glistening on Sasuke's forehead.

"Okay, baby. You just take it easy. I'll unpack everything for you."

"Thank you," Sasuke said stumbling off in the direction of their room as Naruto began searching through his bag for pills.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Iruka." Iruka couldn't see Kakashi's smirk on the phone, but he could hear it. "I don't suppose you've heard that Sasuke and Naruto are back together and Sasuke has given up drugs."<p>

"You know I have," Iruka deadpanned.

"Well, I was just calling to see if Naruto had told you, but while I have you on the line could you remind what our deal was?" Kakashi's smirk was growing and Iruka could hear it.

"Our deal was that if _you _got Sasuke clean or Naruto over him within the year I'd go on a date with you." Iruka sounded annoyed, but whether it was at having lost or at Kakashi's silent gloating neither could say.

"Iruka, darling, you make it sound like you don't want to go on a date with me."

"Good," Iruka said.

"Give me one date. You'll forget you were ever mad at me."

Iruka sighed, "Tell you what you find someone to stay with Konohamaru and I'll go."

"Done. So when do you want to come to LA?"

"How do you expect to make this work Kakashi? I live in Washington and I have no intention of moving."

"Then don't move. Iruka, Ino Yamanka, Sasuke Uchiha, and 'Kiss and Tell' are under my management. I have money to spend going to see you or sending you down here to see me. You really aren't so far away."

"I can't just leave Konohamaru alone and what if…If we got serious again I'd want to live with you."

"You leave finding a sitter to me and if you ever want to move in with me again one of us would have to quit our job. We'll deal with that when the time comes."

"Konohamaru's fifteen Kakashi. He doesn't need a sitter. I just need someone to make sure he doesn't buy porn online or go on another panty raid."

"What's the difference?"

"I don't know, but if you say sitter he'll get pissy."

"Well, a guy owes me a couple favors and he can watch him."

"I'm off at six on Friday."

"Then, your flight will be at 9 and Gai will be there at 7. See you then."

* * *

><p>Sasuke had been over the toilet all day and Naruto was starting to worry about dehydration, but he didn't know what to do. In situations such as this Naruto thought it might be best to break down and call someone who knew what to do.<p>

Naruto brought Sasuke a water bottle and started rubbing his back. "Maybe we should call someone to help, teme. It can't be healthy for you to throw up this much and I don't know what to do about it."

"Who the hell are you going to call?" Sasuke gasped out between retches.

"I dunno. I don't know any doctors or any ex-druggies so…Sakura was studying to be a doctor for a while maybe she'd know."

"Kakashi," Sasuke managed, word slightly disjointed with dry heaves.

"What would Kakashi know? Oh well, if you say so." Naruto began dialing Kakashi's number.

"Hatake." Kakashi answered.

"Kakashi, I dunno what to do. Sasuke is throwing up and he can't stop. What should I do?"

"So, now he wants help from the lonely, sexless has been. Listen, Naruto, I would take him to rehab. You aren't qualified for this and Sasuke is going to get dehydrated."

"Can't you die of that?" Naruto paled. "Teme! You have to go to rehab! He says you could die if you don't and if you check yourself in you can leave as soon as it's out of your system. Please, teme!"

"I'm not going to die if I don't go to rehab Naruto," Sasuke finally turned away from the toilet, trying to stand up, but quickly realizing his legs were too weak. "Just get me some water," Sasuke said sliding down the wall.

Naruto picked Sasuke up to carry him to their bed. He left the room later returning with two water bottles and bucket to set next to the bed. "You drink as much of this as you can, alright?"

Sasuke met Naruto's eyes and immediately began to cry, "I'm so pathetic. I can't walk, I can't keep anything down and now I'm crying like a fucking teenage girl."

"Sasuke, you are not pathetic. Soon, you'll be able to walk again and keep things down and you'll be clean. Isn't that great? And we can put all of this behind us."

"How can you even be attracted to me right now? I'm disgusting."

"No, you're not. It's disgusting when you put needles in yourself. Getting over an addiction is brave. It's pathetic when you use drugs as a crutch. You're looking at this completely wrong."

"I love you Naruto," Sasuke said sipping his water and curling into a fetal position.

"I love you too, teme so you'd better not die because I didn't take you to rehab."

"I'll be fine," Sasuke said. "I doubt going to rehab would stop my withdrawals anyway."

* * *

><p>It was quite a while before Sasuke's withdrawals died down and Naruto and he could live comfortably. Sasuke and Naruto were lying on the couch watching TV when Naruto asked. "See doesn't it all seem worth it now?"<p>

"I'm fat," Sasuke said. "I've gained twenty pounds since I stopped doing drugs. The press is going to have a field day."

"You needed to gain weight. You were all skin and bone. I think you've never looked better."

"Well you don't write the tabloids." Sasuke said, "I need to get in a session with Gai as soon as possible and as of tomorrow I'm back on my diet."

"No, teme! Don't end up like Ino! It was hard enough getting you back to a healthy weight."

"I'm not going to be anorexic. I just want my ass to stop jiggling when I walk."

"Just don't go over board with this."

"Naruto, I appreciate your concern, but you're my boyfriend not my mother." Sasuke pushed himself up to wrap his arms around Naruto's neck, "I don't want things between us to change because of my…problems."

"Okay, I trust you not to become anorexic, but keep it in mind that I plan to see you naked everyday for a long time so I'll know." Naruto smirked turning so Sasuke was underneath him.

Sasuke wound his fingers in Naruto's hair pulling the man down just enough to nip at his lips. "You know this is the first time we've been together since I quit."

"Yeah, but it won't be the last." Naruto kissed Sasuke deeply.

"If you're any good," Sasuke teased wrapping his legs around Naruto's waist and grinding against him.

"I'm sure you'll be satisfied." Naruto threw Sasuke's shirt aside to kiss his chest causing Sasuke to moan and scratch at Naruto's back, trying simultaneously to pull of the older boys shirt and remove his own pants.


End file.
